Violent Hearts

Summary:

After a chance encounter...The Joker & a new-comer, to Gotham's crime circle, find a friend and a foe in each other.

Same Joker characterization as 'Caged Animal' -(Different timeline)(My Joker is a combination of the Batman: The Animated Series, The Killing Joke, Devil's Advocate(and a little Arkham Joker)...along with everything about him from the comics that I find utterly exquisite. He's dark, dangerous, diabolical, and charming)

Chapter Text

From the very moment she drew the gun and fired it, everything changed. The speed at which she unloaded her weapon at The Bat completely blindsided him and the Joker, giving Batman literally no time to move. The bullet kissed his cheek, leaving him with a bloody streak that would scar him for life. It had bounced off, not causing any real damage, just physical scarring. The damage would be a reminder, to the bat, of how close to death he came that night.

The Bat's eyes said: he had been spooked. He froze for moment, almost as if he was in disbelief. Between two of them, Batman and the Joker, there was no way of telling who was more shocked by the whole ordeal. Still, he was The Batman, and in the end he wouldn't allow this to define, or change him.

The Joker was furious. How dare someone take a shot at his Bat and on top of it, actually hit him too! The rage rolled out of him like fire following gasoline fumes.

"Who does this... this...this minx think she is?" He thought.

Showing up, out of the blue, interpreting his heist too! His teeth clinged together and his brow scoured at her as he slowly marched toward her.

"I'll choke the life out of her, then rip her heart out... I'LL... I'LL.." He thought to himself.

Her attention was focused solely on Batman at the moment. Everything was happening so fast, that her gun was still pointed at him. It wasn't until The Joker was nearly on top of her that she snapped out of her momentary daze. Quickly turning to confront him, she met with his fist right in her face. Then his hands went immediately around her throat. Suddenly, she found herself on the ground, flat on his back. Her gun was gone, knocked out of her hand. She didn't panic, instead only laughing, unfazed by the situation. For a moment, her laugher was met with a pause from the Joker, he loosen his grip long enough to make a slightly shocked face before baring his teeth and continuing his violent assault on her. Not bothering to struggle, instead she simply went for a knife, stinking it deep into his side of his thigh.

The moment he went to grabbed the knife, his grip loosened, she manhandled him over and off of her. Once back on her feet, an exchange of punches, kicks and any other act of violence, that was able to be committed, passed between the two. Somehow this new comer with no name, no history of crime in Gotham, stood to be perfectly matched for the Clown Prince. The equal footing she somehow had, started to intrigue the Joker.

She stood there ready for him, waiting for just the right moment. When he turned his head, literally for only a second, to wipe away some of the blood on his lip. First her fingers brushed his neck, tightening as both of her hands firmly encircled his throat, squeezing with only one reason, to kill. The force in which she threw yourself on him, knocked the both of them down. The landing was hard enough that she lost her grip for a split second, giving the Joker enough time to start fighting her off. After a few punches, she still found a way to choke him.

She had lost the element of surprise that she had the first time. This grip wasn't nearly as helpful, he was able to get one of her hand from around his neck, holding it, keeping it from being used. In the middle of this brawl, somehow a roll happened, he was on top of her. Then will a quick kick from her and another roll, she returned to her original position on top. Both of them breathing heavy, drawing in deep gasps of air, almost in unison. With one more skirmish for power she found herself being choked also, but she maintain her own grip around his throat. It had turned into a game of chicken. One that no one could win.

The Joker grinned and attempted to laugh at their predicament. Once it became clear that it had turned pointless, she also gave a small chuckle. Each of their grips had relaxed, to the point of them simply holding each other's neck with nothing more than a playfully grip. Taking advantage of moment to taunt, the Joker spoke in typical Joker fashion.

"Saaay..." He grinned through the blood. "I can't remember the last time I was lucky enough to be treated so gently. And on a first date too."

A slight look of disgust crossed her face, her grip tighten immediately, making him going on.

"But don't worry, my dear..." He changed his tone to sound seductive, "I never kiss and tell. Ha, you can ask the Bat."

Then he puckered his lips, making a few loud kissing sounds. A fist suddenly met Joker's face at full speed, making his laughter burr into a loud groan of pain. He immediately became amused, having been able to get under her skin. He only grinned up at her as she remained on top of him, pulling back her arm, ready to punch him again. But unknown to her, Batman had finally reappeared and was walking up behind the two fighting criminals, only being seen by the Joker.

Joker quickly fought back, getting away from him. The Joker grinned, "No longer the pretty boy, are we?" He taunted the Bat, who now had a bandage over the gun graze. Meanwhile, the no named female had made it to her feet. While Batman was distracted with the Joker, she managed to located her gun, that had been knocked out of her hand earlier. She walked up behind the Bat, pointing it at his head.

The Joker's eyes widen and he smirked slightly.

"Now, you know I can't let you do that. After all, he's my to kill." He bared his teeth through his smile.

Batman was aware he had a gun pointed at him, as he started to duck down to get out to the line of fire, Joker threw one of his razor cards at her. A single shot rang out and the card flew up into the air, having been shot off course. The distraction gave Batman enough time to get out of the way. He grabbed her arm, trying to knock the gun out of her hand. It didn't matter, she simply took the gun in her other hand being ambidextrous, she very effectively handle the gun. Another gun shut rang out, the Bat had just barely dodged the bullet in time. He was left with ringing in his ears.

Nearly in the same moment, another razor card flew through the air, only this time it hit it's mark. Slicing through flesh and bone it found its way right into her left hand, causing the gun to fall. The card was almost all the way through her hand, causing pain. She momentarily grabbed for her hand, giving the Bat another chance to punch her. She was able to dodge it, and return the attempted punch with a kick of her own.

As quick as she could, the razor card was removed and tossed aside. As the blood poured from it, she tried to make a fist with the hand, it was very limited. This didn't stop her from engaging with Batman. The Joker, still keeping his distance, letting the Bat tangle with her for now, laughed at the infliction he had caused. Just like she had done with the Joker, she incredibly held her own against the Bat. Her fighting style was stellar and she not only could she take a forceful whack but she could also deliver one as well.

As she started hitting Batman, rapidly, getting in as many affective punches as possible, Joker watched. He was half mesmerized and half jealous, seeing someone else tangle with his Batsy. It wasn't until she had gotten the better of Batman, having a knife pressed to the little bit of exposed neck, that Joker stepped in again.

Pulling a knife of his own, literally out of his sleeve, he approached. She used Batman as a bargaining chip and toy to taunt the Joker, this time. Keeping the Bat between her and the Joker, the three stood there on the roof, wind whipping and snapping around them in a standoff.

The Joker started to make his move.

"No, no." She pressed the knife harder into the Bat's skin.

"Why you rank, unworthy..." Joker was curling his nose and extremely angry.

"Hush it, no?" She smirked cleverly, threatening the Joker with Batman's demised. "The power source, you stole tonight, yes? I have to have it. Let's exchange."

Joker's face lit up with joy, "thisone wants to play. " He through.

"Yes, yes. That's fine. You can have it and I get to fight the Bat another night." He grinned and laughed manically.

She continued to keep the knife on the Bat as a precaution. However, while the Joker and her were coming to an agreement, Batman had slowly been moving his hand toward his belt. Suddenly, a loud crack and smoke engulfed them, giving Batman just enough leverage to escape from her grip. The smoke caused coughing and confusion for just a few seconds.

Without warning the Joker lunged after her, making his way through the smoke. The hostility he attacked her with was on a completely new level of fierce. They battled with no concern of there surroundings, along with the smoke in the air, the two of them tumbled over the side of the building.

The pair fell five stories down from the roof of the small apartment building. As fate would have it, hitting a window awning, one story from the ground, breaking their fall. It was still an impenetrable landing, hitting nothing but rock hard concrete. The two of them laid there, one on top of the other, not moving after the impact. The Bat was immediately there, looking on. The only movement was the up and down of their breathing. Batman was relieved to see them both alive but they wouldn't be for long. He stressed that fact as he contacted help, leaving the scene to watch from a nearby rooftop.

She came to first, slowly opening her eyes, her head immediately felt like someone had hit her with a hammer over and over. There was no way she didn't have a concussion, she felt completely out of it. Trying to move, she felt the weight of the Joker on top of her, his head resting on her chest. He was out cold but alive. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and had to close her eyes to keep from being nauseated.

She could feel the Joker breathing.

"He's living," she thought.

After letting the dizziness pass, she tried moving. The Joker moaned as she slightly shifted. He was waking up and starting to stir. Trying to sit up, she also tried to push him over, all at the same time. The intense sharp pain that flashed through her body, overwhelmed her every sense. While at the same time, the Joker, who was still only just waking up, moaned loudly and cringed in pain.

"Stop. stop." Joker moaned out softly.

She looked down, lifting her head to get a better view. A piece of metal frame, from the window awning was sticking out of the Joker's back. Staring in disbelief, it appeared to be going all the way through him. She already knew the situation she was in, but had to see anyway. Lifting her head again, she moved her arm and hand, trying to feel under his body. Everytime she did, the same pain hit her body almost making her pass out and causing the Joker to cringe. There was no doubt about it, the metal frame was completely impaling the both of them.

The Joker was fully awake now, slightly moving his head.

"Don't move." She warned him.

He shifted causing the both of them horrible pain. Their groans were in unison. Once the wave of pain passed and it was back to being tolerable he spoke.

"It seems you broke my fall." The Joker barely could laugh without coughing.

The coughing caused his body to move, causing the metal piece to move, causing another wave of sharp pain to go through the pair of them.

"No laughing." Her voice was almost a whisper.

He giggled softly, not moving nearly as much. Suddenly, he turned his head so he could look at her, a grin crossed his face when he did.

"I've never..." He chuckled under his breath. "I've never connected with someone like this before." He continued to chuckle softly at the cheesy joke.

Police sirens were getting close.

"Where did Batss go?" Joker asked still grinning.

Hearing the sound of sirens closing in, she shifted and sighed. Disappointed that if she lived, she was going to be arrested. The Joker knew the feeling.

Pushing himself up with his arms, the amount of pain was unbearable. She grabbed him, stopping him from lifting up anymore.

"No, no no no no." It shot out like rapid gun fire.

He dropped immediately, letting his body go limp, relaxing back on top of her.

"Are you crazy?" She cringed out.

"Actually, depends on who you ask, especially in this town." He was clearly in pain but he still grinned.

"Just no...no more movement. Oui?" It was a whisper and a plead.

"If we don't die, I'm still going to kill you later. Deal? " Joker was calm as he said it.

She actually smirked, "Deal."

The cops and ambulances were just pulling up. The cops had there guns pulled, natural, just in case something wasn't what it appeared to be. This was the Joker after all. The EMTs got to work and quickly doped up the two of them. It would be the only way to comfortable remove the mental frame from the both of them.

As the drugs started to take effect, the Joker slurred, "Say, who are you, anyway?"

It was too late, she was already out.

Eight weeks later...

The piece of mental that impaled her and the Joker had just barely missed everything of importance, only ripping through part of her intestines. However, fate wasn't as kind to the Joker, his liver took the brunt of the damage. He survived, having to stay in the hospital an extra 4 weeks longer than she. Once she was giving the all clear by the medical doctors, she was sent to face a judge. The Joker, once he'd been given the all clear, he was transferred to Arkham Asylum.

The day he arrived the asylum went on lock down, assuring that the Joker was moved without any loss of life. Regardless of his fragile state, they still didn't want to risk it, given his history at the asylum. He was cuffed,
both hands and feet, then cuffed again to a wheelchair.

As he was wheeled down the hallway of the asylum, he grinned happily, making snarky comments to the guards. He was taken to level 9. Each cell on level 9 was designed to house some of the most dangerous criminal Gotham had to offer. The front of each cell was plated with double panel, bullet proof glass, the lack of privacy was solely for safety. One by one, the guards and the Joker started passing the inmate's cell.

"Hello! It's good to be back home!" He cheerfully greeted .

"Harvey, wait, which one is it today?" He acted puzzled, taunting two-face.

The guards ignored him, letting him freely comment as they continued to pass the cells.

"Edward! What's green and funny, and white all over?" Joker busted out into a manic laugh.

They passed a few cells while he laughed loudly. Then he stopped, looking right at Ivy.

"Red. Your brush is looking lovelier than ever." He grinned charming.

"Shut up, clown." Ivy angrily snapped, having a incredible dislike of the Joker.

They continued to wheel pass a few more cells.

"Doddle! Draw a picture for me, would ya?" He laughed, "So I can flush it down the ole crappier."

Doddle ignored him and continued drawing on his cell wall.

Then they arrived, cell #0801, the inmate's cell number corresponded with the patient numbers assigned to each inmate. The security card was scanned, the door opened and they wheeled him in. The guards uncuffed him, helped him up, helped him into bed, locked the cell and left. He remained cheerful but lethargic until the last guard was out of sight. Jumping up and walking to the glass to look out, he obviously wasn't nearly as sore and hurting as he wanted them to believe. He glanced down the hallway, one way and then the other way before freezing. He stared straight ahead into the cell right across his own.

A huge grin formed across his pale face, as he made eye contact with, well didn't know her name yet but that would soon change. She stood there staring right back back at him, both their eyes were almost the same bright crystal green. Her dark hair was the color coal. She was shorter than he remembered and smaller too. Her body wasn't nearly as athletically built, as one would think, to have put such a whooping on, both, him and the Bat. She was thin but curvy, he'd always had an eye for the good looking gals.

The first thing she saw was that smile, it was gorgeous, just as she remembered. However, his lips were pale, he wasn't wearing any red lipstick, like the night they had first "met". His hair was fluffy and wild, it look as if it had just been freshly washed. He had dark circles around his eyes, he looked tried and wore out. The orange Arkham outfit, that they all wore, made his skin look even whiter, almost sickly. He was taller than she remembered and his long lanky body was actually toned and muscular but still thin. Something that couldn't be seen nearly as well, when he wore his trademark purple dress suit.

As they glared at each other, Joker slowly raised one eyebrow, giving a charming wink.

He spoke slowly, than playfully sped up his words, "Well...Well...well, well, well-well-well. Look who's it is. My new across-the-hall neighbor, its a small world. Haha. I didn't know you were crazy too!"

He was beaming as he grinned.

"Oh, wait!" He snapped his fingers once, "I never got your name. I'm Joker, my dear." He took a bow.

He paused, giving her a chance to introduce herself. She said nothing.

He made a sad face, "And we were so close, practically connected at the hip..."

He grinned and put his hand over the spot where he'd been impaled, just at the bottom of his ribcage, on his left side, "...well, not quite the hip, I suppose."

He grinned.

She still said nothing, did nothing, only looked at him with a straight face, loathing him a little at that point. Not only had he been after the same piece of technology, on the same night, he had also been solely responsible for her capture and her almost death. She couldn't decided whether she wanted to kill him fast and get it over with or kill him slow and make him suffer.

He kept his hand over the same spot, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." He continued to charmingly grin. "I bet they match."

Her face expressed total disgusted.

On top of all the security measures in place, the guards were required to make physical rounds every 30 minutes, making sure each inmate at Arkham was accounted for. Hearing one of them coming down the hall made The Joker go sit down in the bed He wanted, for some reason, to keep up the guise of being less than healthy. Before the guard came pass their cells, Joker gave her a wink and a grin, then acted weak and lethargic. The guard stopped looked in on him, clicked his counter once, turned to her and clicked it again, then moved on.

With the cells being built with no privacy to have, besides the toilet being behind a small 3 foot privacy wall, there was no where to go to get away from him. The Joker could see her no matter where she was in the cell and vice versa for him. After the first one sided exchange, he watched her intensely for over an hour. He relaxed in his bed, arms behind his head, feet crossed and a smirk on his face as she moved around, glancing periodically over at him. She tried to ignore him, but even then she could feel every second of his gaze, as she sat crossed legged on the bed, reading a book from asylum's library. Finally, he was bored with only watching.

"Hey! Wanna hear a joke?" He didn't pause, immediately telling the joke. "Two bad guys were robbing a bank. When the cops showed--"

"Please. Hush." She was looking up from the book, staring ahead instead of looking him.

Joker grinned slowly, finally getting some interaction. He moved closer to the glass and leaned against it with one arm over his head, keeping his eyes on her.

"Nnnnnnoooooooooo." He stretched the word out as long as he could, keeping his grin.

She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes out of frustration before quickly slamming the book close. She jumped up and walked to the glass, standing right across from where he was. Joker straighten his posture and removing his arm from the glass. His grin still remained.

"What do you want? What will make you leave me at peace?" She looked at him.

He laughed out of satisfaction, getting her to talk was the first step. He also knew that he'd remembered her having an faint accent. Perhaps, European mixed with something else, he just couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Oh, my dear...." He turned on his charm.

"Stop." She demanded.

Causing him to curl his nose up out of slight aggravation.

"This pretend charm isn't you, no? I've seen who and what you really are..." She spoke softer, "Be him."

The way she said 'be him' made a chill run up Joker's back. And not a fearfully chill, instead it was more of a thrill.

He lowered his brow and his look became less cheerful and more sinister, "Oh, I think I'm going to like you." He placed his hand flat against the glass.

"See, There...you...are." Her eyes cut through him and her sensual tone had a way of making men melt. "That's better, no?"

Joker only stared, unsure of why he was now speechless.

"I think like him better." She turned and leaned her back against the glass to relax.

"Your Bat friend..." Joker's eyes lit up as she spoke about Batman and he listened intently.

"He came to visit, asking about my plans. If I worked for anyone in or outside of Gotham." She spoke keeping her back against the glass.

The guard could be heard coming through for the inmate count again. The two of them remained quiet until the guard passed.

Joker spoke first, "Funny, and through I was the only one he brought flowers to."

He grinned, "I'm willing to bet ole Batsy asked you about the power supply too."

She nodded 'yes' and turned to face him.

He continued, "And he wanted a why...and a how...and a when...and a where...and a who and a what and a this and a that and all that detective gibberish he loves so much..."

Joker lifted an eyebrow at the sight of her letting out a small laugh and cracking smile.

"Yes, yes. He was most, mmm, how do you say it." She paused before rambling in french, "Il était un interrogatif agressif."

Joker smiled turn large, he recognized it to be French.

She through for a moment, "He was aggressive when... he asked questions."

Chapter Text

Entertaining but aggravating or was it aggravating but entertaining? It was hard for either one of them to decide. The depressing truth was as long as neither one of them were cleared for recreational time, they would be stuck in these cells. The only time leaving the cell was allowed for most level 9 inmates included showering, therapy sections, or medical checkups. So having company wasn’t necessary all that bad.

The week was passing fairly quickly...at least.

What would have already, under the normal circumstances and a normal stay for Joker, been a long excruciating first few days in Arkham was turning into an unexpected venture and he would gladly toil with his new prey. What else did he have to do? After all she did beat the regular dimwitted guard or orderly he would have to play mind games with; she looked better too.

The Joker found his unlikely companion to be straightforward but private; not sharing any type of personal information. He prided himself on being charismatic and found it troubling that he was unable to get anything worthwhile out of her. If he couldn’t get it out of her, no one could. After getting her to exchanged humorous ‘war stories’ with him, he had hope for something to slip out. However, she managed never to divulge anything that would help him pinpoint exactly who she was, who she worked for, where she came from or what line of work she was actually in; always keeping her details very vague. He wasn’t going to give up that easy…

“Agatha?” Joker even made a face as he said it.

“No, no.” She said in a neglectful tone.

“Pauline?” He curled his nose, “It isn’t Pauline, I hope.”

She couldn’t sound anymore inattentive as she said, “no.”

“Betty, Chloe, Madeline…” His foot wiggled with each name he called out.

He was stretched out across his bed, hands behind his head, staring at her as he talked.

She barely moved her head but it was enough that it caught his eye, “That was it!”

He lifted his head up, stretching his neck.

He paused, “Wait, what did I say? Maura. Bianca.”

She lifted her head, “I know a Bianca.”

“Oh.” He curled his nose up and made a defeated moan before going back to guessing.

“Sophia, Sarah…with an ‘H’? June, OH!” He sat up fast, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. “I know. It’s Josephine. You look like a Josephine.”

He waited for her to say or do something; she was on the floor inclined, with her back against the glass. Her legs were crossed and she was looking down, focusing on a book.

“Are you even listening to—“ He was interrupted.

“No. I mean…oui, I am.” She turned her head just enough so she could see him out of the corner of her eye, “However, Josephine is not my name.”

She went right back to flipping through the pages of her book.

“What a shame, toots. Joker and Josephine…Would’ve made one hell of a headline in the Gotham paper.” He laughed.

She rolled her eyes, “Toots…is also not my name.”

Joker made a face at her, a little mocking and a little mean. Over the past week, he’d gone through at least a couple of hundreds names trying to guess hers. It was something she had put him up to; telling him she would only share her name if he managed to guess it. It was a challenged he took head on; it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. The whole thing turned out to be increasing more ignoring than she had imaged. And somehow, he hadn’t even gotten close to getting it right. Not to mention, the more she through about it the less likely it became she would actually tell him if he did guess it correctly. It was more than beneficial for her, keeping her ID unknown; so telling someone who could very well use it against her or to his own benefit would be unwise, of course.

She was categorized the same as him: anonymous identity, her name was posted as unknown. Her finger prints were not in the system and after widening the search; they couldn’t find any record of who she was, anywhere. The cops had used every identification program available that IDed criminals; all had proven useless on IDing the nameless female. Gordon had gone as far as asking Batman to find something out about this woman. When the Bat, himself, couldn’t find anything, two options were made very evident. One: she was a nobody, who just happen to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Or, Two: she was someone who had ties to the kind of people who could make your identity disappear; which meant, she was a ‘somebody’ and this could lead to considerably larger ring of underground criminals.

Joker was getting bored with the guessing game and expressed it, “I’m bored, out of my brain.”

He stretched all of his limbs out at once, keeping his butt on the edge of the bed. He looked like a cheerleader in mid jump doing a spread eagle. Once he was done stretching, he loudly let his feet hit the floor. He made a sigh like a teenager being told to clean their room. He felt like he was losing his mind. He stood and walked over to the glass.

“I’ve decided on a name for you. Frenchie.” His tone was very de facto.

She immediately turned her head to glare at him. Seeing him standing at the glass, she also got up and stood, facing him. She gave him a lifted eye brow, scolding him with it.

He grinned, “Is it stereotypically? Absolutely. Is it cliché? Affirmative. Is it tacky? Certainly.”

She couldn’t help herself, she was smirking and just barely shaking her head ‘yes’ in agreement with his assessment of the nickname.

Faking a frown, he shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms in front of his chest, “But you leave me no choice, toots…” He leaned against the glass using his upper arm and shoulder to brace himself; crossing his feet also.

He smirked, shifting his eye toward her, “At least until a better one presences itself.”

“Jo-Ker is only a nickname, oui?” She struggled saying his name.

Her accent really stood out when she pronounced words of certain difficulty. And the way she pronounced his name, jO-Coeur, made him feel unprecedented.

He zoned out thinking, “It’s provocative the way it rolls off her tongue. Hmmm, it would sound even better being whispered into my ear…begging me not to kill her.”

“Jo-Ker.” He didn’t hear to say his name.

He smirked to himself, “Or better yet…being screamed as she begged me to continue giving her-“ His thoughts were abruptly interrupted.

“Hey. Toi.” She whistled and tapped the glass, “Yoo-woo.”

He lifted his brow, but somehow maintained his smugness, acting like he had been listening the whole time.

“Just a nickname? Ha-ha. Toots, you have no idea.” He grinned and looked up at her, “It’s my legacy.”

“It incites fear like nothing else. When it’s said…” He was amusing himself, “…Well let’s just say people don’t feel all warm and cozy inside, although I don’t know why. It’s not like Uncle Joker hasn’t been good to this city.”

She looked at him with doubtful eyes and gave a fake laugh. “I’ve heard the stories and…droit...mmm…upstanding, you are not.”

“Which stories? There are sooooo many.” He faked yawned and then held out his hand, looking at his fingernails.

“Do tell.” He cooed, always wanting to hear a good tale about himself.

She studied him for a moment, watching as he vainly checked each nail. As masculine as he was, there was still something ever so feminine about him and his mannerisms. She liked the feminine flare he had. It was easy to see that Joker was born with natural charm; a gift that he irrefutably used every god given minute of his life. It wasn’t for his extreme mood swings, he’d almost be simpatico. After all, they did enjoy the same type of violent delights.

“Alright.” She didn’t hold back.

“You kill with no purpose, yes? Claim the chaos you create is a joke because this world is only a joke.”

Joker stopped and slowly looked up from his hand. His nose curled and his lips pressed firmly together, jaw tense as he spoke through his teeth, “Go on.”

He was clearly annoyed.

She choice her words carefully, “Perhaps, it’s not without purpose. It is to get noticed…you crave attention from the Batman.”

He had moved on to his other hand, detailing his nails; trying to act as if he wasn’t paying too much attention to what she was saying. She continued; always straight to the point.

“The Batman, he dumped you into a tank of chemicals, no? It’s obviously about revenge but there is something else there. You need him.” She watched him carefully.

He continued to act as if he unamused by her words. So she went on.

“You went…fou…insense…” She struggled to find the right English word to say, saying them French instead.

Joker snarled, “Mad…crazy…looney…insane…” He stood up straight and glared at her with a lowered brow.

“Oui, yes.” She narrowed her eyes at him, “Does it bother you? Because…you may not be as crazy as they say?”

At this point Joker had started pacing back and forth, his hands crossed behind his back.

“But you yourself like to perpetrate these stories of your condition.” She was only repeating what she had been to piece together thus far; proving to be better at finding out about him than he was at finding out about her.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned, looking right at her. Everything about him changed, from his tone to his mannerisms.

“You know what, Frenchie…” She flinched at hearing him say that awful name.

Her reaction made him grin, “Maybe I tell you about the Bat and me one day, or maybe I don’t. But one things for sure…until I get a name out of you, my lips are sealed.”

Joker pressed his lips together, ran his two pitched fingers cross them and gestured the “throwing away the key” with his hand. He waited for a moment to get his point across before grinning, showing of off every pearly white tooth he owned.

“That won’t last long.” She rolled her eyes, “You can’t hush for more than a few minutes. You like to flap that mouth of your too much.” She smirked.

Joker stuck his tongue out at her and turned away. He walked over to his small table and began to write and scribble. For the rest of the day, he said nothing to her; almost as if he wanted to prove her wrong. In fact, he didn’t say anything to her until much later that night, but only after she spoke first. And even then it took some coaxing on her part to get him to speak.

“Jo-Ker.” She spoke softly, having waited for the guard to finish making the rounds.

She waited a moment before saying it again and a little louder, “Jo-Ker. Are you a wake?”

There was still no answer and she knew he didn’t maintain a normal sleeping schedule. He would stay up for days at a time before sleeping; she suspected insomnia. Frenchie lifted herself up on her elbows in order to look over her bed frame and see through the glass into his cell.

She immediately saw him. He was quietly exercising in the middle of the floor. As soon as she saw that he was awake, she got out of bed and walked up to the glass.

“I know you hear me, yes?” She said it a scornful but playful way.

He paid her no attention, continuing to exercise. He was shirtless; she hadn’t seen him shirtless prior to now. And now that she thought about it, it seemed odd, given the fact that they were basically living in front of each other. He had been modest for the most part, of course, so had she. She could see just how tone his body really was; slender but toned, just the right mix of the two. His body was covered in scars including the one that they both shared now. It was the only place on his pale skin that wasn’t white. It had a small pink shade to it; she wondered if it would fade into white after he was done healing completely.

He continued doing push-ups. After watching him for a little while longer she allowed a small sigh to leave her lips.

He was listening; she knew this much.

“You win.” She said it softly.

He made no attempt to stop or pay her attention. It was very obviously he was only doing it to irritate her. So she began to speak regardless.

“We need to discuss where your men are keeping the power supply you took that night.” She waited to see if he would respond and continued when he didn’t.

“There is a way we can both benefit from it. What I need it for will give you the attention of the Batman. There is no reason I cannot—“

Joker suddenly plunged his body up with one forceful push of his arms. He was quick and limber to be so tall and lanky. He put his finger to his mouth; telling her ‘shhh’.

“This discussion… needs to be more private. Wouldn’t you agree, toots?” He grinned.

She cringed at hearing ‘toots’ but spoke anyway, “I agreed. What do you propose?”

He smirked with one eyebrow lifted, “You leave that to me, toots.”

She cringed again, only not as noticeable, “Alright. Work your magic.”

The next night…

“You kids have 30 minutes until my next round. Make it fast and make it good.” The guard made sure to sound as lewd as possible.

Joker grinned at him and gave him a wink; letting him think whatever he wanted. He closed the cell door behind the Joker, leaving the two of them in her cell. Frenchie wasn’t stupid and used caution; after all, he was The Joker and he did have a habit of killing without restriction and with ad libitum.

She stood far enough back from him to give herself a fighting chance; just in case, he was planning on trying to harm her instead of discussing a deal. Joker remained where he was, not moving from the spot by the cell door; he waved to the guard and watched him as he left. The guard turned and looked back a few times to see if he could catch a glimpse of the fornication he assumed would be taking place. Joker kept his brow lowered and gave him a nasty look, urging the guard to move along. Once he did, the Joker flamboyantly turned himself around to face Frenchie.

He cupped his hands and gave her mischievous grin, "Well toots...we’ve got exactly six minutes and 12 seconds before the old pervert gets back to his station and uses the security cameras to try and see the action."

He moved his eyebrows up and down, “Depending on whether or not you’re an exhibitionist…we best get started.”

Joker then started moving towards her rubbing his hands together, "Wouldn't want to disappoint the old fellow."

She immediately went on the defense, "Jo-Ker." Quickly moving away from him and saying his name as a warning.

"Relax, relax." He gestured a 'stop' with his hand.

"I’m just moving in all nice and close so they…” He gestured toward the cameras.

“…Won't think we're up to something in here..." As he moved closer, she moved back; backing herself against the wall of the small cell.

And paused for a second before smirking, “Unless…you know…you really do want to…” He made a lewd gesture with his hand and then laughed.

He suddenly started walking toward her again, “Oh well, I tried. Can’t blame me, seeing as you are quite stunning, my dear.” He tilted his head and moved his eyes down and back up her body.

"I mean, knowing these paranoid loons around here, they're liable to think we're discussing plans to threaten the city with a radioactive power supply or something. I figured it might be a proper distraction." He grinned smugly and chuckled.

"I have no need to threaten the city; I need it for personal use." She said, while folding her arms in front of herself as Joker finally came to a stop just a few inches in front from her.

Her folded arms were like a barrier between her and the Joker; doing nothing really beside making her feel a little less uneasy. This was only the second time the two of them had been within touching distance and the first time ended badly. Granted, this time she felt she knew him a little better; enough to know she couldn't trust him.

She gasped as he suddenly grabbed her upper arms and dragged her about three feet to the right, still staying against the wall.

He looked out of the cell, “There, that’ll do.” He promptly removed his hands from her and grinned.

“Blind spot.” He said smugly, and then continued without missing a beat.

"Do tell...Share the secret with your Uncle Joker. Whatcha need it for?" He stretched his arm out above her, resting it on the wall, leaning in toward her. "But first, toots, I gotta know. Who's got their little French legionnaire out doing all the dirty work? There could be something better on the table to trade."

“You have it all wrong, Jo-Ker.” She stared back at him as he batted his eyes at her, purely to mess with her.

She chuckled slightly, "The men...your men, who you had take it that night, are all still alive, yes? No attempt of thievery, yes?"

He quickly started to reply but she stopped him, throwing up her hand and telling him, "Hush."

Joker lifted an eyebrow, took his arm down putting both hands in his pockets. He made a point to stand up straight as he could; towering over her.

"And you, in the hospital all those weeks. You are still living...oui?" She laughed, “Oui.”

“I could have easily taken what I needed, Jo-Ker. But I didn’t…I’ve given you the courtesy of respect; from one business person to another.”

Joker stood there studying her for a moment. Then he suddenly took his right hand out of his pocket and offered a handshake to her, "Well, partner. Put it there."

She looked down at his hand and then back up to his face.

“It’s not that easy with you…given everything I’ve heard about you. What do you want, Jo-Ker?” She kept a straight face.

Joker waited a few moments before letting his arm and hand hang down to his side. He was scowling just slightly.

“You’re right, Cupcake. I do want something but I don’t know what it is yet?” He folded his arms, keeping one arm up right with his finger tapping the side of his puckered up mouth. “I’ll have to think about it and get back to you, toots.”

Frenchie was not amused and it showed. Joker, on the other hand, was loving it.

“I will not agree to an unspecified deal. Understand?” Frenchie stood there, confident in everything she was saying.

“Ooohhh, you’re no fun.” He faked a frown then bared his teeth. “What’s the point then? After all, you can just take it if you want. Isn’t that right?”

He started to get loud and angry, “That’s the impression you tried to make. A threat…TO ME, the JOKER. Well…oh-ho-ho…”

He threw up his arms and then pointed at her.

“If you think for one minute that you or anybody can threaten MEEEEE. Well…you’ve got another thing…”

He took his pointer finger and poked Frenchie in the shoulder with it, “…coming!”

She looked down at his finger and then back to him. She very casually took hold of his hand and removed it from touching her. The look on his face turned from pure anger to one of surprise. For a moment Joker was taken back, almost shocked that someone had the nerve to touch him as he was touching them and trying to make a point too. He reacted poorly; his hand went around her throat before she even realized he was moving. With a strong pull and then thrust back, Joker slammed Frenchie into the wall, causing her to hit her head. The attack was so sudden that she hadn’t been able to brace herself; making her head hit hard enough to make everything fuzzy for a few seconds.

She cringed and sighed loudly.

Joker pinned her against the wall, tightening his grip around her throat enough so she knew would was in charge. He leaned in close enough so his cheek was almost touching her as he spoke into her ear.

“Now, you listen and you listen well, my sweets.” His toned was calm and charming but very threatening and menacing, “I’d rather throw it to the bottom of—uuhggrrrr”

He had underestimated her and let his guard down. He felt a searing pain in his side causing his hand to shoot up and grabbed the spot where it was coming from. He backed off immediately, making enough space between them so she couldn’t take a swing at him. He looked down and moved his hand expecting to see blood but there was none.

He laughed and looked at her. Frenchie was still standing against the wall, she had made no effort to try and hurt him anymore.

“That was…that was dirty of you.” Joker chuckled.

Frenchie had simply punched the spot where he’d been impaled a few months ago. It was still very sore and through he’d never admit it, her punch almost caused him to pass out.

“You left me no other options.” She reached up and rubbed her throat.

“Hee-hehe.” Joker was still holding his side, “You are amazing but you know that already. Haa-hee-ho.”

“In fact, I’ve changed my mind. You can have the power supply. A gift…” He smiled charming, “From me. To you.”

Frenchie looked at him with doubt all over her face.

“No, no. Really.” He walked towards her and lifted his hands up like he was showing that he wasn’t a threat.

“Jo-Ker.” She said it as a warning, narrowing her eyes at him.

He stopped, “Alright. I suppose you don’t trust me enough to actually shake on it this time.”

“No.” Frenchie said smugly.

“Woo! I know!” He leaned in closer with just his top half, “We could kiss on.”

He puckered up his lips in a humourism manner and made a kissing sound while batting his eyes at her. She curled her nose up instantly at him and made a disgusted face.

He stopped and did the same thing to her. Then he stood up and shrugged his shoulders, “Your lost, my dear.”

Then he turned and started to walk toward the glass. Before he got there and turned his head back to look at her. He was grinning, “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying.”

She rolled her eyes, still standing where she was.

Joker looked down the hallway as much as he could from the cell.

“Well, looks like we still have time on our hands.” He quickly turned around and flashed a deck of cards.

“Care for a friendly game of Go Fish?” He was all teeth and excitement.

For moment Frenchie stared than actually laughed.

“Oui.” She said while half way nodding yes.

Joker’s grin grew and he promptly walked back over to her and sat down on the floor right in front of her. Crossing her legs, she watched as he began shuffling the cards with prowess and finesse. The first game was intense and full of opposition; the two of them played the simple child’s game as if it was life or death. Joker pouted when Frenchie won; calming she must have a card up her sleeve. He demanded another turn and immediately started dealing another hand. She found it charming, but would never have actually admit it.

Throughout both games Joker kept an eye out for the guard and upon seeing him, interrupted the second game. He stood up with urgency, grabbing Frenchie and pulling her up.

“Here.” He unexpectedly pulled off his shirt.

“Jo-Ker, What are you doing?” Frenchie was perplexed.

He looked up, from having tossed his shirt to the side, with a confused look before realizing then she didn’t understand what he was doing.

“It’s best to make these things look authentic, my dear.” He gave her a fetching wink and continued.

“Oh.” She looked down and thought about it for a minute.

Without hesitation she began to remove her pants.

Joker grinned, “I like your style.”

“Shut up.” She snapped as she tossed them onto the floor.

She looked around and saw a very neat, made up bed; she yanked the covers back and made a quick mess of them. Glancing over her shoulder to Joker he was watching her. She turned back around and looked at him.

“Wait. Come here.” She motioned for him to come.

“I knew it…” He teased as he stepped in front of her.

“Here.” She reached up and tangled her fingers in his soft green hair. With a sudden back and forth movement of both her hands, she moved them around just enough to mess his hair up. “There. That looks natural.”

Joker stood there, his face blank. She had been very liberal with her touch and it caught him off guard. He couldn’t decide whether to like or hate the fact that he had actually enjoyed it. It had sent a chill down his body; one that made him feel aroused. He stared as she messed up her own hair.

“How’s that?” She asked.

He glanced to see how close the guard was and turn back to her.

“It’s fine.” He grinned devilishly and suddenly pushed her back onto the bed.

He was on top of her instantly, “Sorry about this…really.”

“Jo-Ker, is this really necessary.” Frenchie said in a suspicious tone.

He was lifted above her and rested on one elbow, “Probably not.” His grin turned into a laugh.

Joker suddenly put his head down and nudged his face into the curve of her neck and shoulder. She froze; barely pushing him away, instead almost allowing it to happen. To be touched intimately by another person was nice. It’s not something you miss until you get a reminder of how nice it can be. She let her eyes close for just a second; they popped right back open upon feeling his lips on her neck. With one hand flat on his bare chest she aggressively pushed him. Muffled giggling erupted from him before he quickly went in for another playful half bite, half kiss.

“Times up, Lovebirds.” The guard finally announced his self.

“Thank god.” She whispered, giving him another push.

Joker grabbed her hand as he lifted up; holding her hands to his chest as long as he could. With a wink, he let go and rolled off the bed. Standing up with theatrics, he grinned at the guard and gave him a military salute.

“Have fun, did you?” The guard asked as his eyes immediately went for Frenchie’s pant-less lower half.

She curled her legs up. Without hesitation, Joker reached down, pulled one of the blankets up and over her legs. She was taken back by the kind gesture to keep the pervy guard from ogling her. It was something she would have never imaged him to do in a million years.

“Eye’s off…This one’s mine.” The Joker didn’t hide how unpleased he was with the guard’s wondering eyes.

He walked up to the guard, who was now standing in the open door way. The guard already had his stock stick out as a precaution and pointed it towards Joker.

“Is there going to be a problem, Clown.” The guard glanced back over to Frenchie.

“Not at all, good sir. I'll just be going back to my cell.” The Joker grinned and quietly went back to his cell. He stood right on the other side of the glass door as it closed, staring down the guard.

The guard only smiled smugly and turned his head to look at Frenchie in her cell.

Then he turned back to Joker, “Whatcha say about me paying your girlie a visit. You can watch.”

Joker only grinned.

The guard hit the glass with his stick, “Nothing to say now, huh, Clown?”

Joker, using his finger, motioned for the guard to come closer to the glass. As he did, the Joker made small lunge causing the guard the stumble back. Laugher erupted from both, Frenchie and Joker.

“Yooou knooow…” Joker was still laughing a little as he spoke.

“You still owe me two or three or four or five more favors for that little job I did for you on the outside. I’d be careful if I were you, Jenkins. Wouldn’t want any of those favors coming back to bite you in the backside.” Joker spoke with charm.

“I don’t know what you’re on about?” The guard looked panicked and he looked up at one of the cameras.

The Joker grinned and started daintily waving ‘bye’ to the guard; who practically ran down the hall.

The moment he was gone, Joker’s eyes darted right to Frenchie. She was already staring at him. Her hand was touching the side of her neck where Joker had kissed her. For some reason that made Joker smirk smugly. As she saw him slightly smile, she returned it with a smile of her own.

“I’m going have you wrapped around my finger before I’m done.” The two of them thought the same thing at the same time; a pair of manipulators trying to outdo the other one.

Chapter Text

From the moment Frenchie arrived at Arkham, one thing was clear; if you could bribe or intimidate any of the guards, your stay the asylum would be a whole lot easier. In fact, it was apparent that nearly everyone who worked at Arkham was corrupt in some form or fashion. It explained how some of the inmates had a history of escaping on a regular base. Most of the guards had their favorites, for whatever reason and made to sure keep 'their' inmate informed of anything that another inmate might be planning. Secrets were hard to keep unless you were the highest bidder or the scariest. As soon as the Joker arrived it was clear, he above all others, had the run of the mill. He controlled most of what happened in Arkham without even having to leave his cell. It was quite amazing.

Frenchie was no different, using her charms to get under the favor of a couple of guards. However, there was one guard whose favor didn't appear to be fear or manipulation; it appeared to be a genuine affection, at least on the guard's part. With that said, Frenchie didn't seem to mind the attention; in fact she seemed to have a natural inclination when it came to sweet talking the female guards. No one seemed to notice, no one except Joker.

"You know, that guard was one of the lucky ones. I didn't get a chance to kill her the last time I escaped." He said it loud enough for the guard to hear as she walked off; she was making her rounds and stopped to converse with Frenchie for a moment.

Frenchie gave Joker an expressionless look.

"Saaaay, are you going to get her to just let us out?" Joker cooed out with a charming grin.

"Just...let...us...out?" She lifted one eye brow, "You said 'us' and there is no us."

Joker stretched out, leaning his back against the same wall his bed was butted up against. His long legs draped over the edge of the bed and his feet rested on the floor, one crossed over the other. His hands were tucked behind his head, elbows out.

Frenchie rolled her eyes and continued to flip through the new pile of books she had been given by the guard.

He turned and looked at her. The tone of her laugher was actually quite offensive.

She half heartily laughed again, "Besides, Jo-Ker. I think it's the other way round, no?"

"Je te rend fou." She winked at him with a grin.

"But, alas, your charms do not always work." She said it in a 'woe is me' tone.

He curled his nose and jumped from the bed.

"I have you know." Joker looked both ways down the hall, checking for guards.

"I've got that little blonde number, the new doctor." He held up his little finger. "Wrapped around my pale little finger already."

He smirked, "And she hasn't even got to have any one on one time yet with ole Mistah J." He lifted his brow up and down in a suggestive manner.

"Ugh, s'il vous plait." Frenchie made a face, "She is an imbecile, easily manipulated, oui? You could smell it on her the moment she walked in."

Then she started smirking, "It's a name that puts a smile on my face." The Joker's face went from a smile to straight lips as Frenchie repeated what he'd said to Dr. Quinzel a few weeks ago. "It makes me feel there's someone here I can relate to. Someone who might like to hear my secrets."

Once she was done, she started laughing so hard she grabbed her gut as a sharp pain went through her scar, "Ouch."

Joker was standing at the glass, staring with a hatful glare.

"I'd like to choke the laugh right out of her," he thought.

He pouted slightly before saying, "Jealous, are we?"

He crossed his arms.

Frenchie sighed as she caught her breath from laughing.

"No, Jo-Ker. Not in the least." She got up and walked right up to the glass, just so she could look right at him. "The poor Cherie. She will never see it coming; even after you chew her up and spit her out."

Joker made a face that suggested what she was saying was very true.

"I'm surprised by you. As smart, clever, and adept as you are, do you really need her to get you out of here?" She was feeding his ego.

Joker was offended and pleased at the same time, "Do you have any idea how many times I've gotten out of here?"

"Oui, Oui. The rumors, I have heard." She leaned on the glass causally, "Of course, rumors are just rumors."

Joker's ego was getting bruised. He started pacing before and forth. She smirked slightly.

"I have you know, I've been able to walk my way out, fight my way out, sneak my way out, get to the roof and scale my way down, talk guards into sneaking me out, two doctors and-" He suddenly stopped in the tracks. His rage suddenly turned into a huge grin. The expression on his face left his eyebrow curled and his lip playfully snarled.

"Why you clever, clever little minx. Getting me worked up like that just to tell you my tricks." His eye brow lifted as he admired her.

They both went quite; a guard was making the rounds to check on the inmates. While they waited, the two of them stared each other down. Giving each other playful little half smirks. He knew what she was trying to do and she knew that he had figured her out.

A Few Days Later...

Joker was on his way back from the Arkham barber; the guard escorting him was a vet who figured out a long time ago that if you didn't play the game with the criminals, that you and your whole family would end up dead. Instead of cuffing the Joker, he allowed him to walk on his own casually ahead of him. The Joker whistled as he strutted down the hallway, hands in his pockets. He was in a good mood, feeling like a million bucks and ready to put on a show for his 'French fille'. As he flamboyantly jumped in front of her cell to surprise her with his new hairdo, he let out a "Ta-Da."

Only Frenchie wasn't in her cell.

Joker knew her schedule by heart, it wasn't hard to remember. It wasn't therapy day; she was only cleared for recreational time once a week and it was far too late in the day for a medical checkup. His eyes narrowed with angrier.

"Say, Henry. Is that young little guard on duty tonight, the red head with the short bob cut?" He grinned at the older guard.

"I believe so, Mr. Joker." He answered.

"Um-Hmm, um-hmm." Joker nodded his head.

"And would she happen to be working on this floor tonight?" Joker was walking up to Henry.

"Y-yes sir. She's scheduled for this floor for the next 6 months. She requested it about two weeks ago and Cash approved it." Henry was backing up and reaching for his stock stick.

"Now Henry, we're old pals. There's no need for that." Joker manhandled the stick out of his hand.

"And there's no need for you to have this..." Joker grinned as he took the radio from Henry, "...either."

"Now, what I'm going to need from you...is your silence. I'm just going to have myself a little walk around the place, ok Henry?" Joker was pushing Henry into his cell.

"There's a good boy, Henry. Now stay put." Joker laughed manically as he closed the cell door with Henry's key card and took off down the hall.

He thought to himself, "I just know she's up to something. And if she thinks I'm going let her escape out of here before I do... well, ho-ho, she is sorely mistaking."

Joker quickly walked up and down the halls, peeking in rooms, looking in all the hiding spots in Arkham. He rounded the corner and saw the sign pointing to the library. He figured, why not. Sliding the key card across the lock, the door opened and he quietly went in. It was dark and appeared to be empty as he walked passed the aisles of books.

"I'm going find that little French foreigner before she can..." He froze with surprise.

He stood there for a moment completely dumbfounded at first. He'd found her; there she was in a most compromising position too. Joker straightened his body and pushed his hands in his pockets; he reminded quiet, like a mouse, as he watched the spectacle unfolding in front of him.

Frenchie was pushed back against one of the tables in the small library, facing him. She and the young red headed guard were in the middle of an embrace. Their hands were exploring each other's bodies with illicit desire. A grin slowly formed on the Joker's face as he realized that Frenchie wasn't playing hard to get, instead, she was actually hard to get, for men at least. He slowly lifted an eyebrow as he continued to watch the two of them kiss feverishly. Finding the whole scene very titillating until, the longer he watched, he suddenly found himself feeling jealousy...no resentment...no possessive.

He pouted up, and bared his teeth thinking, "That little French éclair is mine. I've lay claim to her, even if she doesn't know it yet."

His feelings grew as he watched her quickly come out of her pants. The red head wasted no time making her way down, burying her head between Frenchie's thighs. Frenchie threw her head back immediately and moaned out of pleasure. Joker snarled silently as he watched and listened to her tiny moans and sighs. Joker lifted an eyebrow as it became very apparent that the guard was doing a job well done.

"How dare that filthy guard touch my..." Joker stumbled with his own thoughts, "I'll kill her." He felt a familiar urge start to build; he wanted blood as a price for touching his stuff.

Seeing a hand reach up, then slowly slide under Frenchie's shirt and start traveling upward was the last straw; Joker took a step toward the two women. Then it happened. Frenchie looked up as she started to remove her shirt and their eyes met. Joker stopped in his tracks and a wide grin formed across his face as his eyes connected with Frenchie. At first, he was sure she'd over react to him being there but instead a soft smile crossed her face as she continued to enjoy the actives being bestowed upon her. She smirked and lifted her finger to her mouth and mouthed "shhhh" to him. His eyes lit up and suddenly, he no longer felt disdainful about the whole thing; in fact it became alluring.

With both hands Frenchie continued, reaching up and pulling the orange Arkham shirt over her head. Joker watched; his facial expression melted away, like he was hypnotized. Her arms stretched over her head as the shirt peeled off and tossed aside. Her hair fell back down, cascading over her shoulders and her eyes immediately connected with the Joker again. She made no effort to hide or cover herself, bantering in front of him on purpose.

Joker was truly enthralled with her, not that he cared about what was actually happening. He'd been there and done on many occasions and actually preferred one on one. No, he was preoccupied with the fact, that despite her delicate situation and her obvious taste in the same sex, that she was still making an intimate connection with him. Then it hit him, this was very out of character for him. When did he care if he had the attention of someone else besides Batman? For a moment he became perplexed about his feelings.

Suddenly, an alarm went off. Everyone froze. The Joker had forgotten that he'd locked Henry in his cell to come look for Frenchie, thinking she was trying to escape. Frenchie and the Joker gave each other one last smile.

The guard stood up quickly, relieved that the alarm had nothing to do with them.

"That's the Joker." The guard added as the two of them scrambled to get dressed.

Frenchie shot a quick glance over to where the Joker had been; he was gone. She smirked to herself and continued to dress. Once done, the guard quickly cuffed one of her wrist. Frenchie gave her a dirty look.

"Sorry but if someone sees us." The young guard pleaded.

With a sigh, she held out her other arm and let the guard cuff her. The guard smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her. Frenchie pulled away, clearly not pleased with the situation.

"I see." The guard said coldly and immediately shoved Frenchie toward the door.

Catching her footing, she stood up straight. Little did the guard know, that at that very moment Frenchie was talking herself out of gutting her right there with her bare hands. Clearly, having got her feelings hurt, she grabbed Frenchie by the back of her shirt and headed for the door. With a flash of movement Frenchie was behind the guard with her arms around her neck, using the cuffs to choke her. She didn't apply enough pressure to break the skin, just enough to frighten the guard and make her feel the panic of restricted air.

Frenchie whispered in her ear, "Don't forget who it is in charge, oui?"

The guard shook her head franticly, trying to appease her. She held the guard in the choke hold for a few more moments before letting her go free. The guard quickly put some distance between her and Frenchie, turning and pulling out her stock stick. Frenchie only smiled.

"You should take me back now, oui? You wouldn't survive me." It was a warning to the guard and Frenchie was giving her an out.

Then the guard immediately backed down, led her back to her cell and reported to join the hurt for inmate 0801.

The alarm was finally tuned off twenty minutes later. It took another twenty minutes before a commotion could be heard. As the doors open on the level 9 ward the sound of chaos filled the hall.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" The Joker's laugher could be heard echoing throughout the entire floor, mixed with the sound of guards yelling for him to shut up.

"Christ! Hurry up and get him to his cell." A guard yelled.

"HAHAHa-Ohohohoooooh-hahaha!" He was manic.

"Hey! Don't touch me there. I might get the wrong idea! HAHAHAHA" He taunted one of the guard trying to restrain him.

Frenchie stood up and walked up to the glass to watch the show. Joker was covered in blood; some poor soul had gotten in his way. Being manhandled by four guards, each of whom had a hold of one limb, did little to control him. He was bucking and fraying around like a piece of sheet metal being popped back and forth. From the other direction, two doctors escorted by another group of guards came running. Cash, the head guard, was with them; holding a strait jacket.

"CASH! Boy, am I glad to see you. Give us a kiss." The Joker laughed again.

"Get in there and help hold him down. The doc needs to be able to safety administer a sedative." Cash gave the orders to the other guards.

By now the chaos was right in front of the cell. Frenchie had a front row seat to the show Joker was putting on. Another group of guards came running; the young doctor Quinzel came rushing down the hallway with them. A look of distress was on her face as she watched what was happening. Joker laughed loudly and continued to struggle the whole time.

"Doc, now." Cash made sure the doctor was out of harm's way as he gave Joker a shot. "Now we wait."

The Joker was still flipping and flopping about; he finally turned his head enough to get a glimpse of Frenchie standing at the glass watching.

Frenchie gazed through the madness and watched Joker with admiration. She didn't care whose blood it was; the only thing she saw was a madman who was forged from the same mayhem and chaos as her. She had been right about him and now she was finally seeing the force of nature he truly was.

"Come on. Ask me. Ask ME. ASK ME!" He was completely out of control, panting like an animal.

"SHUT IT now Joker!" Cash warned. "Doctor, get ready for another shot. He's going to have to have two, maybe three."

"Is that necessary?" Qunizel's trouble voice asked over the chaos.

She was ignored by everyone.

The Joker started to really struggle; it was apparent that he hadn't really been trying before. He managed to pull one of his arms free, immediately grabbing one of the guards. Pulling the guard to him, he head-butted the man, knocking him out cold. Cash quickly wrestled his arm down, using his whole body to pin down the Joker's upper half. It was nothing but a sea of blue uniforms as the guards finally neutralize the manic clown. As the eight guards plus Cash restrained him, the doctor gave Joker a second shot, at a much larger dose.

Once it truly started to take effect, Cash and the other guards still used precaution as they slipped the strait jacket onto Joker. All the while, Dr. Quinzel protested, claiming the straight jacket wasn't necessary. She also protested again the secondary dose of sedatives.

As the minutes passed Joker became less violent. His breathing slowed down and his laughing turned from manic to a more musical tone. The drugs were clearly starting to work. Cash started the process of clearing out his cell. Ordering the guards to completely clean out his cell, they left only a pillow and toilet paper. The number of weapons found in his cell was alarming; Frenchie was impressed.

They finally picked him up off the floor and stood him up. He manipulated the guards by acting a sluggish and clumsy, 'falling' just enough to get in close to where Frenchie was standing. He would have been nearly face to face with her, if the glass hasn't been there. He grinned at her with a charming goofiness and she smiled back.

"You've don't it this time clown." Cash spoke to him and shook his head. "Pointless slaughter and for what?"

Joker was still alert but clearly doped up and giggling as he stared at Frenchie but listened to Cash.

"For what?" Joker giggled, "For my amusement of course."

He grinned, "And hers." He stretched his neck out just enough to address Frenchie.

He chuckled, "Ohhh, I think she may be crossed with me. Oh yes, yes, yes, yes."

"Have you figured it out yet?" He giggled sinisterly, giving Frenchie an evil smile.

"Oh, but don't be too angry with me, toots." Joker quickly took a step getting as close to the glass as he could before the guards pulled him away.

"That's the price she had to pay for touching something that belongs to me." Joker was talking in a comedic tone. He puckered up and blew an air kiss at her as they dragged him into his cell.

"Saaay, just ask Cash about the mess. Heehee." He looked over to Cash, "It was one hell of a party we had, wasn't it Cash." He gave Cash a smug grin.

*thwack*

Joker went out like a light after being hit over the head by one of the guards.

Cash smirked, "Thank you. But I'm going to have to write you up for hitting an inmate."

Frenchie watched as they checked Joker vitals, left him comfortable laying on the bed and sealed his cell. The truth was she didn't care that Joker had killed the young red headed guard. She was more intrigued by the fact that the Joker had an odd fascination for her. And if she was going to be honest with herself, she also had a strange allure for him.

The guards and doctors slip into groups and left in different directions. After a few minutes the only person left, looking in on the Joker was Dr. Quinzel. She appeared truly worried as she watched him through the glass. Frenchie hadn't moved from her spot against the glass door, she went unnoticed by the young doctor.

{"Poor thing, you have no idea that you're a victim of his charm."}Frenchie spewed the words out in French causing the young doctor to jump with surprise.

She turned to see who had spoken.

Frenchie smiled at Dr. Quinzel, {"He'll kill you before it's over with but not before he has his fun with you."}

Frenchie only smiled at her and turned away. For a few moments the doctor watched as she sat down on her bed and started reading a book.

"Quinzel!" Dr. Leland called out for somewhere near the end of the hall, "Now!"

The young doctor turned and hurried away.

A few hours later...

The asylum had literally turned into a madhouse after the Joker's episode; it always did after one of the inmates caused mayhem. The doctors were forced to sedate some of the more violent and vocal inmates, leaving the asylum in an eerie state of silence, something that was truly a rare occurrence. She laid there, staring up at the celling, stretched out in only her underwear and her orange uniform shirt. She'd tossed and turned so much, kicking her blanket into a ball at the foot of her bed.

It was the silence and the extremely warm night, she told herself, keeping her from sleeping. She didn't want to admit that her mind was racing, playing the events from earlier in the day on repeat. Never mind the mildly amusing show Joker had put on for everyone but the moment in the library continued to replay over and over and over. The way he looked at her, she could see it every time she closed her eyes. This was something unexpected; was she starting to reciprocate his advances? At first, for a spilt second, what she had done was merely a power play, a manipulative move to try and control him but it had morphed into something...something else.

She sighed out loud, trying to shake the idea out of her head.

The sound of multiple footsteps coming down the hall caught Frenchie's attention. She perched herself up onto her elbows, while remaining on her belly; from the bed she watched, in silence, as Cash along with three other guards and a doctor arrived to do a medical check on Joker. He appeared to be sound asleep, something that was seldom for him. Frenchie could only recall actually seeing him sleep a totally of four times since he arrived at Arkham.

Cash very cautiously woke Joker from his doped up dream world. A grinned crossed his face, the moment his eyes opened to see Cash. Almost instantly Frenchie could hear the tone of his voice but whatever he said was soft enough that she couldn't make it out. While still in the strait jacket the doctor checked his vital signs; Cash stood back, keeping a watchful eye and a stock stick ready, just in case he decided to replicate his actions from earlier. He behaved; in fact, he was all grins and giggles. The doctor gave him the all clear and the other guards started removing the strait jacket from him.

Frenchie finally pushed herself up and sat cross legged in bed to get a better view; her gaze seemed to go unnoticed. Joker was given a small paper cup of pills to take. Watching as they checked to make sure he had swallowed them, she couldn't help but giggle to herself. He made a point to stick his tongue out ridiculously far and make an extra-long 'ah' sound to complement the action. His mannerisms were slightly lethargic; however, the drugs really seemed to leave him in an agreeable mood, of course the sleep probably helped a great deal too.

"Thank you for cooperating." Cash announced as they started to exit the cell. He was a very well-mannered and professional man; giving the circumstances, no one would have thought any less of him if he had beaten Joker to a bloody pulp.

In typical Joker fashion, he gave Cash a salute. The staff exited the cell and locked it, leaving the calm clown sitting on the edge of his bed.

Frenchie studied him. Joker remained on his bed for a long time. He stared ahead, looking at the other side of his cell, almost in a zoned out state. There was no movement until he slowly licked his bottom lip, trying to moisten it. His head turned toward the small sink in the cell and he licked his lips again then smacked his mouth together; the medicine had given him cottonmouth.

Slowly, he got up. His messy green mane flopped to one side of his head, while his orange Arkham uniform still covered in blood, along with his hands and arms, clung to his body from sweat. He was missing a shoe; no doubt, it came off in the struggle with the guards earlier. He paid no attention to it while making his way over to the sink. Turning on the water, he watched it as it flowed out of the faucet and into the drain before cupping his hands and drinking his fill. After his thrust was quenched, he splashed the cool water on his face and neck, washing the dried blood from his skin. Next, he stuck his head under the faucet, letting the water run over his hair and head.

He cut the water off and immediately pulled his shirt off; using it to dry his face, neck and hair off before tossing it into a corner of his cell. His lean but toned chest was just as pale as the rest of him. Frenchie's eye traveled down his chest to his slender waist, his pants barely hung on his hips. She could see and found it amusing that all the hair on his body was also green. Her attention was drawn back up as he cracked his neck and stretched in a flamboyant manner.

She continued to watch him quietly, still going unnoticed. He made his way back to the bed and took a seat on the edge. The one shoe, followed by both socks were pulled off and tossed into the same corner with his shirt. Joker leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his head down. He stayed that way for a long time before turning his head to look in Frenchie's direction. Both of their eyes were drawn together like magnets; as soon his bright green eyes landed on her, he grinned and lifted his head to get a better look at her.

She remained still, waiting to see what he would do or say. The sad fact was that the young guard was already forgotten about, she was only thinking about one thing and he was right in front of her. There were very few men, two in fact, that Frenchie had ever actually found herself being attracted to; she had always prefer women. But The Joker, he was unlike any man or woman she had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

She watched him watching her, not moving a muscle, except the tiny smile that formed on her face. Suddenly, Joker shifted; stretching one more time before pushing himself across the small bed. Leaning his back against the wall and keeping his butt near the edge of the bed, his whole body was draped across the tiny twin size cot. He maintained consent eye contact with Frenchie; looking away ever now and then, only to immediately return his focus to her.

They said nothing, only giving each other small flirtatious looks and quick grins. Frenchie found herself enjoying the oddly playful comradery. From time to time, she couldn't help her eyes from taking a quick peek down Joker's shirtless body. Once he noticed, he waited for the right moment for her to explore him again, lifting an eyebrow in the most devilish way. He rested his hand flat on his abs making sure her attention was focussed in the right spot before starting to move his hand down.

Once Frenchie realized where his hand was headed she gasped out of excitement. From the look on her face, Joker knew he what he was about to do was welcomed. At first, she felt herself blush but couldn't turn away. She only stared; watching him gently rub himself through his thin pants. There was no missing how quickly he was becoming aroused. Her eyes moved back from his crotch to his face to find him still watching her; the grin on his face had melted into a soft leer and his breathing deepened.

Her eyes moved back down his slender body, there was no hiding the bulge fighting to get out of his pants now. He continued to rub himself as he watched Frenchie's lip slightly part after gulping hard. Joker began to tease, barely slipping his fingers into the top of his pants. An involuntary nod of 'yes' came from Frenchie, causing Joker's smirk to turn into a full grin.

He made sure to keep the moment lingering, keeping himself in anticipation, enjoying the tension he was creating between the two of them. A low moan came from him as he finally touched himself; the friction felt good, so good. Between the show Frenchie gave him earlier and the excitement of a good kill, he needed this badly. For a moment he closed his eyes as he let the tension of the day melt away, he started to slowly move his hand down his erection. He couldn't wait to look at her again, after all, she was the catalyst for this situation. He giggled to himself.

Frenchie's eyes bounced between his face and his hand moving sensually in his pants. She felt a tingle of sexual excitement. To be a man, he was distinctly different in more than just the obvious. Regardless of his chemical kissed skin and hair, that gave him a certain kind of wispy flare, there still would have been something so exquisite about his features. On top of that, he wore makeup to add to the daintiness of his appearance, while at the same time maintaining a masculine touch. Frenchie could deny it all she wanted, but she was physically attracted to him and quickly becoming seduced by his personality too.

She continued to indulge in the private show that was hers to enjoy, still fighting a tiny bit of apprehension; the internally struggle about how much she liked what she was seeing was slowly winning. Then with a quick lift of his hips and tug of his pants, Joker slipped them down just enough to free his excited cock. It sprang free making Frenchie gasp. She couldn't watch any longer and slammed her body down flat into her bed.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked herself.

She stared up at the celling trying to come to terms with her feelings. It soon became too hard to ignore Joker's tiny moans and deep groans of pleasure; he was relishing in the moment and not holding back. Suddenly, it was all she could think about again. Using every bit of self-control she had to keep from touching herself, just wasn't working. With every moan and giggle that came from him, she found her body aching with sexually longing.

She'd been defeated, at least in this round.

Keeping her eyes shut and biting her lip, she gave in; letting her hand explored her body. Listening to his moans, Frenchie let herself imagine him in his purple suit with his hair curled up and his lips painted red; pressing her against a wall...whispering into her ear...touching her body...

She pushed her hand into her underwear with a deep sigh of relief, biting down on her bottom lip again. The more she let her mind wonder, the more she needed to lift her head and look at the him. As she opened her eyes and slightly lifted her head, her eyes met his. He was no longer sitting on the bed; instead he was standing with his arm over his head, using it to brace himself against the glass, watching her touch herself. She felt a burning in her cheeks and a rush of excitement washed over her, realizing that he was, for lack of a better word, ogling you. It was a complete aphrodisiac, having the Joker watch her. The sight of him standing there, his hand around his cock was sexy as hell too. Any reluctance left in her, went right out the proverbial window.

A seductive smirk crossed Joker's face as he watched Frenchie's reaction to seeing him. There she was, half undressed, back arched, head tilted back, one hand under her shirt, the other one between her thighs, breath heavy and, most importantly, thinking about him. For the Joker, it was pure intoxication thinking about her imagining him in her moment of pleasure. He intently watched as he continued to satisfy himself with long robust strokes to his dick.

As Frenchie got closer to her moment of bliss, she reached up and wrapped her own hand around her throat, giving herself enough simulation to mimic the kind of roughness she liked in bed. Quickly, as in some desperate attempt to break the glass, Joker jerked his arm down from it's brace against the glass and slammed his palm flat against the it. For now it was as close to her as he could get, it would have to do. Seeing her choke herself, it drove him absolutely ecstatic. Closing his eyes to control the strong urge to climax, he made himself exhale slowly before immediately opening them again, there was nothing about this magnificent sight, in front of him, he wanted to miss.

With both of them equally aroused, the whole moment between the two of them only lasted a few minutes. It ended with Frenchie climaxing first, only to have Joker follow almost immediately behind her with such force he dug his finger tips into the glass. He was pushed over the edge by her moans and gasp, the way her hips bucked slightly toward her hand as the peak of her orgasm burst, the tiny sigh of relief she let out...

Frenchie relaxed her tensed body, letting her hand rest flat on her belly, keeping the other one resting on her throat. She laid there, eyes closed with a small smirk on her face, thinking about just literally just happened. Joker braced himself against the cell door as the wave of gratification course through his body. Once it subsided he turned around and relaxed his back against the glass, slowly sliding down onto his butt. The two of them were both nothing more than a sweaty and panting mess. . . . .

"Did that really just happened?" asked one of the guards watching the monitor screen.

The other guard, who looked totally dumbfounded, on duty with him only shook his head 'yes'. After the incident today, Joker was being watched like a hawk. The two guards had witnessed the whole thing and even put off doing a walk thru because of what was happening.

"Is that something we should tell the doctor about?" The dumbfounded guard finally spoke up.

"I have no idea." The other one was still staring at the screen.

Frenchie and the Joker were still in the same spots.

"Have you ever seen something like that before?" The guard asked, finally looking away from the screen.

"Hell." The other guard chuckled, "I've walked in on inmates fucking, guards fucking, Doctors fucking...hell, guards fucking doctors, doctors fucking inmates...guards getting blowjobs. But I have never seen something that...hot."

The other guard started laughing, "There was a certain aesthetic about it." He said grabbing the counter and started out the door to do his rounds.

Summary:

Chapter Text

*tap tap tap*

*tap tap TAP*

Every time Dr. Arkham tapped the pen against his desk, Cash could swear he heard it getting louder and louder. The doctor was fuming; he had every right to be.

*tap TAP TAP*

The pure lack of control, that apparently ran rampant like an unchecked case of herpes in a whorehouse, was unacceptable. Not only was it unprofessional, embarrassing and dangerous but it had cost, yet another life to be lost under his watch. Every time this happened, the press showed up, trying to poke their noses into places that are better left undisturbed. To make matter worst, this time it was The Joker who was involved... Again.

Arkham continued to watch the security footage of the attack.

*TAP TAP TAP*

"That's enough, Cash." Arkham threw the pen down onto the desk and leaned back into his chair.

"Oh thank god." Cash thought to himself as he hurriedly used the computer mouse to hit stop on the footage.

Arkham closed his eyes for a moment, "They're going eat this up, the press. Christ, he's like candy to those people." He rubbed his hand over his face before sitting up straight in his chair.

"Why did it have to be him, that green haired monster? What did I do in another life?" He addressed Cash.

"Have they gotten wind of it yet?" He asked.

"Well, sir. We informed the Miss Mays' family about her death about an hour ago. Apart from the family, the, GCPD and the board, it's out of our control who they tell." Cash answered with a somber tone.

Arkham nodded, "And Gordon. I'm sure he wants to meet, when?"

"Later today sir."

He squinted at the screen for a moment then pointed, "how far with the tape reviews have your guys got? Do we know if this was provoked by another incident or just one of his joy killings?"

Cash didn't answer right away causing Dr. Arkham to look at him.

"Christ, Cash. I know that look. What did we miss?" A look of regret came over the doctor.

Cash took the mouse and opened another file from the security footage. Then he stopped, "Wait, we should start with this one." He opened a different file and hit play.

Cash tried to focus on anything else but the footage, he'd seen it three time already and didn't car to see any of it again. The first clip showed Miss Mays, the young red headed guard and Frenchie, or as the staff only knew her as Inmate #0800, in the library together. Cash started to fast forward through the few minutes of making out that occurred before the Joker showed up but Dr. Arkham shooed his hand away from the computer mouse; he wanted to see everything.

A 'oh shit' sigh escaped him as he saw the Joker walk in on the two woman. Then another sigh escaped, only this time it was an 'oh, I see' kind of sigh; it was very obvious that there was a connection between Frenchie and The Joker. There was no sound on the footage from the library but it was clear when the alarm went off from the reaction of all three of them. Shortly thereafter, Cash stopped the clip.

"We have footage of Mays taking 0800 back to her cell. Roughly, 15 minutes later, the attack occurs on Miss Mays." Cash looked like he was on the verge of cringing the whole time he spoke.

"Show me again." Arkham order Cash to replay the attack.

The two men sat quietly after the clip of the attack was over. Equally disgusted, angry, disturbed and sadden by what they had just watched; it never got easier. The attack was brutal. Joker had out done himself this time. Finally, the doctor spoke up.

The doctor still staring at the computer screen, "Where is he now?"

"We have him restrained and sedated in his cell for now." Cash answered.

"Good. That'll do for tonight. Tomorrow, throw him in the Intense Treatment Unit. We'll keep him there for a few weeks, it'll keep any of the reports from speaking with him and for Christ sakes, destroy these clips." Dr. Arkham ordered, "God forbid they fall into the wrong hands."

The Doctor rubbed his forehead, he was rightfully worried.

"Cash, not a word of this to anybody; if someone comes poking around, you let me know."

"Yes sir." Cash complied.

A sharp loud humming sound came and then went in a blink of an eye.

Joker noticed it but didn't really pay it any attention or give it much thought. His attention was on something else; on someone else. He watched her move across the room. He couldn't see her face, her dark hair was hanging just enough in the way that it covered her profile. Was she happy to be here? Was she happy to be there with him? Her movements suggested she was but he needed to know.

Before he could form the first syllable of her name with his lips she turned. Those bright electric green eyes met with their counterpart and lit up. A huge smile formed slowly across her face as she said his name.

"Jo-Ker." She stretched out her arm and beckoned him to come to her, "Come over, mon doux pitre."

His long stride got him across the room in no time, where he quickly pulled her close. Engulfing her with his arms, he hugged her. He felt her arms tighten around him, eagerly giving him a hug in return. He felt compelled to scoop her up, lift her, carry her off somewhere where he could lay her down, kiss every inch of her body, make her his. Giggles erupted from her as he set his plan into action; her arms wrapped firmly around his neck as he lifted and began to carry her toward another room.

She forced him to lay down with her, never once releasing her grip from around his neck. Almost immediately they're lips connected and their bodies gently rolled against one another.

"Jo-Ker." She moaned out between their kisses.

"Yes, my sweets." He looked down. His heart felt something, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Let's leave Gotham. Now that you've killed The Batman there is no reason to stay."

"I suppose you're right..." Joker buried his face into the curve of her neck, giving her a playfully nibble before lifting his head again, "Gotham without the Bat is no place for The Joker, time to start anew."

"Oui, there is nothing stopping you from remaking the world in your image now."

"No, no my dear, in our image...our image" His grin grew large, "A world where only the strongest and funniest survive, haha."

Suddenly, loud humming over took his ears then brain. He felt foggy. What had he been doing? He couldn't remember.

He looked around the dim, dark room he was in. He recognized this place; a scent in the air was familiar to him but he couldn't quiet place it. Then something caught his eye; something or someone. He moved toward the shallow moving in the distance.

"Batss?" He didn't know why he called out to the Bat. He didn't even know if it was the Batman.

"Batss?" The tone of his voice was anxious. "Batss?"

Suddenly he turned around, something quickly moved past him.

Fear was in his voice, "Batss, is-is that you?"

Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps; he knew that stride. Turning around with a huge grin, he watched as the tall slender man walked right up to him.

"I like those shoes." He thought.

The Joker's eyes focused on the shiny patent leather and the bright clean white spats.

Then his eyes started moving upward, "Those pants, fabulous!"

He continued to move his eyes up until he saw his own face, grinning right back at him.

"What a handsome fellow" Joker had always thought highly of himself, no room for under inflated egos here.

He gave himself a wink. His double returned the wink right back at him, but going a step further, and tipping his hat at him. He found himself doing the same thing. Then with a sudden flash of movement the doppelganger lifted his hand, waving his fingers back and forth. Joker found himself doing the exactly same movement. The realization that he wasn't in control only made him laugh, manically.

It was as if the laugh broke the spell, Joker laughed while his copy only watched. Once he'd finished, the doppelganger Joker gave a nod toward the left. Joker quickly looked seeing himself in a mirror, his reflection staring back at him. He noticed his doppelganger didn't have a reflection though. Looking back to see his what the doppelganger was doing, he saw it was actually gone. Then turning back to the mirror, his own reflection was now gone. Nothing was there, it was only him now.

Then the everything went dark; he quickly looked around.

Then something or someone forcefully shoved him backwards.

As he started falling the floor gave way from under him. He flailed about; flipping and waving his arms, trying to gasp hold of anything the stop himself from falling. Then suddenly, as if he gave up, he relaxed. Arms stretched out, hair twisting and swirling around his peaceful face; he was carefree as he awaited the appending impact. Only it became apparent there wasn't going to be an impact. There didn't seem to be a bottom.

This realization made him smirk, then smile, then grin; soon enough he was laughing. Then out of nowhere he landed with a gentle splash. It was comfortably warm; whatever this substance was that had broken his fall. With a kick of his feet, his head and shoulders broke the surface.

Immediately, the toxic smell hit his nose and the taste of that god-awful chemical made his skin crawl. He knew exactly where he was and what he was in. Pure panic over took him as he struggled, flailing about, kicking, swimming and grabbing trying to find the edge of the tank. There was no tank, no edge. His eyes scanned a vase sea of toxic green, boiling chemical that surrounded him. The terror that churned deep within him was unlike anything he'd ever felt; it was happening all over again. But this time, unlike when it happened the first time, he knew what the outcome would be, where this road would lead and that scared him to his core.

Suddenly, he felt a hand wrap around his ankle and tug him down. His head went under, and then bobbed right back up. Another rush of panic hit him but then he saw him. Batman. There he was, just in the distance. Joker tried to yell out, but nothing came out. His voice was gone, he started to laugh at the situation, but his laugh was gone also.

Then another tug and he went under again. Only this time he didn't bob back up to the surface. He looked down through the depths of the chemical, trying to focus with his burning eyes; it was another Batman. The Bat was holding his ankle, pulling him down. Then poof, like that The Bat released him. Joker looked to surface, swimming hard, using every ounce of strength he owned. Finally, he felt his fingertips breach the surface. With a few more hard kicks, his head plunged above the toxic green liquid. Gasping for air, he was hysterical; screaming for someone, anyone, to help him.

Someone answered; Batman. The Bat appeared again, standing in front of him; somehow walking on the chemical's surface. Joker reached for him but Batman wasn't there to help; instead, pushing his head back down into the chemical with his foot. At the same time Joker felt another tug on his leg, pulling him deeper into the sea of toxin. Right then, in an instant, he was completely surrounded by Batmans. All grabbing, tugging, clawing and pulling him down deeper, deeper, deeper...

Suddenly, Joker woke up.

He was in a cold sweat; soaked from head to toe. The panic and fear was still flowing through his veins. Feeling the hard teeth guard in his mouth, he suddenly remembered where he was and what was happening. The straps holding him down were tight around his arms, leg and body. He tried to struggle, he wanted to struggle but his body wouldn't respond to what his brain was telling it to do. He franticly moved his eyes around the room, searching for the doctor. The doctor appeared over him, ready to give him another round of ECT.

"Higher this time." Dr. Bartholomew ordered.

Joker's eyes flashed over to the nurse who was readjusting the level of electric current. There was dread in his eyes.

There it was again, that sharp humming sound. He looked over his shoulder and then back around wondering where it came from.

Shrugging it off, he thought, "I guess it wasn't anything."

"Jo-Ker? Something wrong?" She asked.

He immediately he turned back and smiled at the green eyed beauty sitting across from him, "No. Nothing, my Sweets...now where were we?"

It had been three weeks of dreams, nightmares and a little of everything inbetween.

In truth, Joker hadn't been surprised when Dr. Arkham, Cash and Dr. Bartholomew showed up the next morning after the "incident" as the Arkham staff called it; in fact, that's what it was called every time a doctor or guard was killed by an inmate.

He wasn't surprised when they relocated him to the intensive treatment unit of the asylum...

He wasn't surprised when they started him on new medication...

He wasn't surprised when they began ECT...

This was by no means his first rodeo in this place and he knew exactly what was in store for him. In fact, he had gone with a smile on his face, willingly and cheerfully, even giving Frenchie a wink as they wheeled him away that morning.

The good doctors of Arkham, especially Bartholomew, had the nasty habit of using electroconvulsive and insulin shock therapy more as punishment than treatment in most cases. Joker could handle anything Arkham Asylum could throw at him, but still, after so many days of Bartholomew's treatment, even the best are left feeling a little foggy in the head.

It was his first day back from the intensive treatment unit; Joker been given a medical exam that morning, allowed to shower, have breakfast and then they turned him back loose onto the poor unsuspecting inmates of Arkham.

There Joker sat. He'd been given the pleasure of getting to enjoy some recreational time before being taken back to his cell. The High Risk Recreational Room was a truly dismal place. Unlike the main recreational room, two floors down, used for the general population of Arkham; which was a much larger room, filled with all sorts of wonderful actives and games. The kind of stuff that could be easily be used to kill, hurt or escape with, when put in the hands of the right inmates. Because of this, the more dangerous inmates were kept to this smaller room, filled with less weaponized-able games and actives, with only eight allowed in at a time. The few things in the room, like the television and radio, were mounded to the wall, too high to reach.

He sat, by himself, on a small sofa that faced the television. Everything happening in the room was mere background nosie to him. Inside his mind was a raging sea of chaos but on the outside he appeared calm, dossal even. He would allow them to assume the ECT had done its job, making him less of a threat. Ultimately, giving him the upper hand; the fewer eyes on him, the better. Playing the part with poise; he knew that's exactly what the doctors wanted to see.

Some of the ECT induced dreams still lingered on his mind but mostly his thoughts revolved around Batman for now.

"How is it, a grown man can dress up like a flying rodent and not end up here beside me, ha. Fools! The Bat's as bonkers as any of us, possibility more, ha." He slightly smirked to himself as he pondered.

"I just have to make them all see it.One day, the chips will all fall flawlessly and with my impeccable planning the Bat will plummet to his defeat." Joker narrowed his eyes and slightly curled his unpainted lips. "And I'll be there, standing over him, hahahaha, poking with a stick to make sure he's dead."

Joker heard the rec room door being unlocked but never bothered looking. At that moment he just wasn't concerned.

As the small group of inmates filed into the rec room, Frenchie found herself forth and last in line.

She quickly scanned the room like always, but this time someone she hadn't been expecting to see surprised her. The instant her eyes landed on that the back of that lush green head of hair she lit up with a smiled. Once she realized that she was grinning, she quickly forced it away as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't.

The sudden rush of excitement she felt annoyed her. It had been a long time since her head couldn't control her heart. Composing herself, Frenchie started across the room. Casually she took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa from Joker. She waited a few moments but he never looked up.

"Bonjour." Frenchie spoke softly.

Joker didn't acknowledge her on purpose. In fact, he'd been more than thrilled to see her out of the corner of his eye; hence the reason he was acting as if didn't noticed her.

And so it was, she was sure he was acting but the expression on her face was starting to change into worry; he did look weary, exhausted even. The dark circles around his eyes suggested he had, in no way, been getting enough sleep. And his already slender frame seemed even thinner than it had 3 weeks agos. He looked like he'd been through hell and the idea of something horrible having been done to this crazy but brilliant mind actually perturbed her.

She stretched her arm and leaned toward him, "Jo-Ker?" Her finger tips connected with his forearm.

As Frenchie slightly gave his forearm a squeeze, he slowly allowed a grin to fill his face. He maintained a fixed gaze straight front of him. Then he spoke.

"Did you miss me, toots?" His charming voice was music to her ears.

Frenchie's worried look quickly vacated and she pulled her arm away from him,

"Tu...petite...merde." She teased with a mild tone of disapproval, almost rolling her eyes.

"And what if I said, no?" She smirked as she goaded him with her answer.

He shrugged his shoulders while poking his bottom lip out, making it quiver in a most comedic kind of way.

Instantly, his faux frown turned and he smirked. With a flash of movement, Joker had smoothly and almost unnoticeably scooted across the old sofa, closing the gap between him and Frenchie; leaving almost no space what so ever between the two of them.

He reached up, pushed her hair out of the way, tucking it behind her ear in order to whisper, "I want to hear you admit it." It came out sultry and sexy.

There was a sudden rush of desire that caught her off guard. Frenchie hadn't forgotten how charming he could be; it was just simply, she wasn't prepared gor him hitting her with it so soon.

"Restraint. Control your feelings." Frenchie quickly scowled herself.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was still so close, making her feel butterflies in her stomach. Her inclinations seemed to completely be rewritten when she was around this man; the allure she had for him was so strong.

"Admit...that my absence made things dismal...drab...dull...dreary...hmmhehe." Joker smirked knowing that every breathed he'd used to over pronounced each word tickled Frenchie's ear, almost causing her to shiver.

She quickly lifted her gaze but not to him, instead she checked to make sure the guards were still talking to each other, not paying any attention to them.

She whispered back, answering Joker while keeping her eyes locked on the guards, "Perhaps, so. Oui."

Then she snapped her eyes and head around to meet Joker's gaze. He pulled his head back slightly and raised one of his eyebrows playfully as Frenchie gave him smoldering smirk.

She narrowed her eyes as she admitted, "You do intrigue me."

She gave him a lifted brow of her own, "Beaucoup de, Jo-Ker. Beaucoup de."

The Madman's grin beamed from ear to ear, while his posture became outstanding. As he sat up completely straight, he very deliberately and intentionally executed the old yawn and stretched move with both arms, allowing them to drape over the back of the sofa. Pausing only momentarily for comedic effect and to give a wink, he quickly but casually encompassed Frenchie with his arm; allowing his hand to rest over her shoulder.

"The guard is unimpressed by you smooth moves." There was a slight giggle in her voice.

Frenchie was once again looking in the direction of the guard station; where one of the two guards assigned to the HR-Rec room was eyeballing them.

Joker smugly glanced over toward the guard in question. With a grin and finger-gun pointed toward the young guard, Joker quickly convinced him to divert his attention elsewhere.

"Oh, on second thought, I don't think he minds, nnnoot reeeaalllly." Joker cheerfully announced causing Frenchie to snicker under her breath.

Then as if the idea just dawned on her, she cheerfully asked, "This means you will be reassigned to your cell, oui?"

"See, toots!" He playfully lifted his hand, which was still rested over her shoulder, hand flicked her hair before twisting some of it around his fingers gently "You really did miss me, didn't you?" He cooed with a toothy grin.

Frenchie didn't flinch or move at his gesture. Instead she contemplated his motives, wondering if him being so touchy-feely was normal or what this his way of flirting?

"Now that's the look of someone who's got something on their mind. I'd know it from anywhere." He stared back at her, mimicking her pondering face in a silly manner.

She squinted at him and bit her bottom lip to keep for smiling.

"Just look at you, you're having a discussion up there in your..." He reached around with his other hand and poked the middle of her forehead, "Noggin."

The action produced the smile she was trying to hold back and Frenchie found herself blushing and batting her eyes; indulging in the charming behavior Joker was lavishing her with. Oddly enough, Joker found himself more than willing to bestow it onto her. It was as if, each of them could see themselves behaving out of character but just couldn't stop it or maybe they just didn't try hard enough.

Suddenly, something caught Frenchie's eye. Joker's uniform sleeve was pushed back enough to allow her to see his wrist. A mixture of fresh bruises and red friction burns embellished his wrist; the leather straps that held him down for ECT held left there marks. She immediately reached up and pushed the sleeve of his shirt up on the arm around her to reveal the same type of bruising. Instinctively, she wrapped her hand around his wrist as it remain on her shoulder; as if she was comforting him.

Joker let out a deep, "Hmmhmhehehehe. How sweet." His tone sounded almost cruel but Frenchie ignored it.

"What exactly did they do to you?" It was an honest question.

"It's imperative they keep you on the table when you're flipping and flopping about." He snickered, and then immediately continued.

"Oh my dear, there's really nothing like getting your brain flossed to put you right with the world." He spoke in a dismissive tone, not bothered by the subject.

"Brain floss?" She asked.

He grinned, "Yes, yes. Brain floss never heard of it, have we?" He lifted his brow.

Frenchie shook her head 'no'.

"ECT. Electroconvulsive therapy." Joker sounded excited.

Frenchie's heart sadden, she knew what ECT was and how destructive it could be.

"It does wonders removing those pesky little memories." He used his free hand and pointed at his temple.

"You know the ones that creep just underneath the surface." He gestured with his hand, wiggling his fingers. "The ones that haunt and hold you back."

Regardless of what he was talking about, he was so charming in the way he gesture and spoke.

"Poof!" He pulled his other hand away from where Frenchie was still holding onto his wrist and snapped his finger quickly beside her ear, "Like magic and they're gone."

Then his cheerful voice turned and he lowered his brow, "OH but sometimes, it makes the ones you've forgotten...the foul and filthy ones...the ones you'd rather not remember boil right back up to the surface."

The look of loathing on Joker's face was intense. For a moment he stared off into the distance, focusing on whatever was in his mind. Then suddenly, just like that, he smiled.

He was cheerfully again, "However, with a little more juice to the brain and..." He began laughing.

"Heeheehee...and you're thinking of lovely little butterflies..." He smirked as he turned to look her, "Lovely French butterflies."

Joker gazed down at this tiny framed woman beside him, who was intensely listening to him. He ran his eyes over her; it was hard to image this tiny human fighting the way she had against both, he and the Bat. The whole thing started to play out in his mind. He stared off at nothing, looking slightly over her head as he reimagined that night. Come to think of it, he hadn't got to see the damage done to the Bat's face. The thought of how ridiculously mad he'd been about the whole thing made him chuckle to his self.

Frenchie lifted her eyes to his face. He was still glazing off into the distance. She gently nudged him with her elbow, rubbing it against his side, until he snapped back to reality.

He blinked a few times then looked at her with a smile, "Saaay, speaking of memories...I was just thinking about that lovely little escapade on the roof."

Joker then shifted his body, crossing leg toward Frenchie, he tilted his body and leaned into her; making their pose even more intimate.

She didn't move, cringe or recoil; in fact, she did the opposite and leaned into his advances. Completely letting the side of her whole body finally come into contact with his body, she nestled against him so naturally.

"You recall it, yes?" He gave her a dashing smile.

Frenchie nodded once, "oui, I do."

"Quite a number you did on Batsy, Heeehe, I can't wait till I run into the ole boy. I'll never let him live it now, no sir, not one bit." He spoke casually while bouncing his foot.

"Hmm-hm-hee-hehe." Joker tilted his head and lowered his mouth to her ear.

"I wanted to kill you that night." He sweetly cooed into her ear.

She smirked, "You almost did."

Joker chuckled softly at her comment and gently patted the spot on his lower chest were he'd been impaled from their fall off the roof.

Tilting her head to watch his movement, Frenchie felt her ear graze against Joker's nose. A pulse of excitement, that border lined lust, shot through her body and she froze. She'd be lying if she said, that their last encounter hadn't flashed into her mind. Both could feel the chemistry radiating between them, each wanted to act on it but neither did...at least not right then.

Joker held the position for a while longer, debating whether or not to just ravish her right there on this small sofa, after all he did love having an audience. The idea made him chuckled softly before finally turning his head.

Relief from the yearning and lust twisting in her jut washed over Frenchie.

She tried focusing on anything; she had to redirect her thoughts. Suddenly, her attention was pulled toward his foot. He was still slowly bouncing, letting it brush against her leg every time he moved it.

From the minute they started interacting, with every little movement the Joker could muster, he tried to touch her with it; a shift of his arm, a brush of his hand, a wiggle of his finger, a tap of his foot. She felt each and every connection; her senses were on fire. He had never been reluctant with his advancements or bashful about vocalizing his fondness of her but this time was different. He was somehow being a little more chivalrous about the whole thing and her willingness was absolute, whether or not she was willing to admit it.

Joker remained anything but inattentive, even though he kept his eyes focused across the room as he addressed Frenchie playfully, "I should warn you though...I'm not the kind of man who lets a homicidal urge just fall by the wayside."

He tried to keep a straight face.

"Oh," She teased, "Concern I should be, oui?"

"Yes indeedie-do, toots." He fought his grin.

"I suppose." Frenchie shifted her upper body, turning herself to make looking at him easier, "This means we are at an impasse."

Joker cut his eyes down toward her as he answered, "So it would seem."

A curl of a grin started to show his face and he quickly shifted his eye back ahead of him. Frenchie smirked at his game and continued to stare at him. The longer she eyeballed him the more he purposefully ignored her, until finally she reached out, placed her hand on his thigh. With soft squeeze she tried to bid for his attention.

Joker's eyes widened, lit up with a spark of desire.

Immediately, Frenchie continued to move closer, stretching in order to whisper into his ear, "Jo-Ker..."

He still couldn't get over the way she pronounced his name and with her saying it into his ear so provocatively made him want to pounce.

She continued to whisper, "With the right set of circumstances, I could also enjoy killing you...so much."

Before she could even finish, Joker's eye brow lifted and he smugly smirked, turning to her.

Having someone say those kind of words to him, thrilled him to the core, it made him fill with enthusiasm, gave him gusto. Then, of course, there was the insinuation by the tone of Frenchie's voice that killing could easily be replaced with any manner of wording; sexual innuendos welcomed. The idea made his smirk turn into a full toothy grin as he looked down at her.

This time she wasn't shying away, instead tilting her head upward to accommodate him, making it so the two of them were face to face.

"Is that so, my sweets?" He cooed while gently pitching her chin between his thumb and pointer finger, "Perhaps though...at least speaking from my own personal desire, tehehe..."

Frenchie only gazed back at him, taking in every word.

"Before we whine up killing each other." Joker let his thumb trace the line of her jaw.

Frenchie couldn't stop herself from gently biting her lip as he continued, "Maybe there are other activities..."

His finger tips slipped over her smooth skin and down her throat, "best suited for us..."

A soft moan escaped her parted lips and she instinctively tilted her head back even more, giving him better access to her throat. The whole situation was enticing. She was giving him an open invitation and he took it. Joker's pale fingertips quickly gave way to his whole hand tightened passionately around her throat. She pushed into his grip, enjoying his touch and the mild sadism manner in which he did it. Joker's eyes widen, as did his smile, watching her gasp with delight from his touch.

Joker devilishly grinned and right as he started to lower his lips to hers...

"HEY!" Yelled one of the guards, "Hands off! No touching." The guard announced loudly, seeing Joker's hand on the female inmate.

"What in god's name! Get Off of her!" The guard hurried out of the station, followed by a second guard, the one who had been 'overlooking' their 'cuddling'.

Frenchie's eyes shot open and she quickly snapped back to reality as soon as the guard yelled.

Quickly, Joker whispered to her, "Another time, toots."

He casually let go of her throat and turned toward the guards, "There's no problem here."

He scooted over just enough to create a small space between him and Frenchie. "See."

Joker smiled charmingly at the guard, who was in route toward the two of them.

The other six inmates in recreational room were now watching, wide-eyed and full of curiosity.

"What's going on here? Was he hurting you?" The guard asked Frenchie.

"No, It was nothing of the sort." She answered back firmly.

Joker was casually relaxing on the sofa, arms stretched out across the back and his legs crossed.

"Seeeeeee..." Joker put a silly drawl on it. "There's no problem just a simple misunderstanding." He threatened the guard with a grin.

Then his voice went cold, "And one that I might be willing to overlook."

Frenchie simply remained where she was, also casually relaxing; just watching and waiting.

The guard didn't seem too fazed by Joker.

"Up. Stand up. Now." He hovered over him.

Joker glanced over to Frenchie and gave her a cheeky wink and then got up quickly, giving the guard a salute, "Jawohl."

Frenchie chuckled under her breath.

"What did you say to me?' The guard took offense to the German word for yes sir, not knowing what it meant.

This caused Frenchie's soft chuckle to explode into a giggle. Joker smirked while slightly rolling his eyes at the guard.

"What are you two playing at, maybe a few days in solitary confinement for the both of you-"

Joker interrupted, "Now see here you...The lady and I were merely-" Joker was interrupted by the guard grabbing his arm.

He aggressively hand cuffed The Joker while the other guard watched silently.

"Hey, easy boys." Joker grinned, "Some of us like it rough. Wouldn't want to get me riled up, now would you?"

"Enough, funny guy. You're going back to your cell." The guard announced as he shoved Joker toward the door.

Joker growled, "But I'm not ready to go back."

With a quick lunge at the guard, Joker used his shoulder to knock him backwards. A sudden scrimmage broke out between the two guards and Joker, with one of them yelling for the other two guards stationed outside the rec room door, "Get in here fa-"

The guard's yelling abruptly fell silent.

Both Joker and the other guard stopped and stared.

Joker then exploded into laughter.

There stood Frenchie with the guard in a headlock. She had him bent backward in order to accommodate her height. He was red in face, pawing and tugging at her arm, desperately trying to loosen her tight grip.

The sound of the other guards coming through the door only made Joker laugh harder as he stood, arms still cuffed behind his back.

"Hey, hey. Take it easy, don't hurt him." The other guard, whose name ID badge said Mike, pleaded with Frenchie.

As the other guards came through the door, they froze. Being unsure of the situation, they didn't want to jump in and make matters worse.

Mike addressed them, "I got it. It's ok."

Then addressed Frenchie again, "Just...Just let him go."

Joker was still laughing, almost manic by this point. He was starry-eyed as he watched Frenchie subdue a man twice her size without even having to break a sweat.

As he passed out, she took a few steps backwards, letting gravity help her gently laid the guard on the floor. Once he was down, she stood up and gave them all a smiled, "Now he's calm."

Like the well trained circus animals they were, the guards moved in, pouncing on both, Frenchie and Joker.

Remaining cool, calm and collected, Frenchie raised her hands and put them on top of her head; allowing the guards to manhandle her freely into a strait jacket. Her eyes focused on Joker, giving him a sweet little smirk the whole time.

Joker on the other hand, put up a little more struggle, trying to maintain the ability to keep his eye contact with Frenchie as she was restrained. Eyeballing her with a huge grin across his face, the guard quickly noticed the pattern of him putting up resistance when one of them would block his view of her. So they simply, didn't block his view as they also strait-jacketed him.

By the time both, Frenchie and J were completely restrained and pulled to their feet, Cash, along with backup security, had already reported to the HR-Rec room; along with Doctors Arkham, Leland and Quinzel.

Cash was expecting the worse with The Joker being involved. In fact everyone had been; the only staff member not seemed worried about what Joker had done and more worried about his well-being was Miss Quinzel.

AsMike gave Dr. Arkham and Cash the quick vision of what just happen, there was an odd air of disbelief when he told him that the actually physical assault had been committed by Inmate #800.

"So, he didn't touch any of the guards this time?" Dr. Arkham said glancing over to The Joker who was still giggling.

"No sir, like I said. It started with Flynn cuffing the Joker and making a threat about going to solitary confinement. Then out of nowhere she had him in a headlock, choking him out." Mike repeated himself.

"Flynn's already awake and doing fine." One of the nurses from the infirmary reported over Cash's radio.

Cashed nodded and replied back over the radio, "Excellent. Thank you."

"Alright then, Mike, report to my office so we can fill out all the necessary paperwork. I will be there shortly." Cash ordered.

"Yes, sir." Mike sounded nervous.

"And these two..." Cash looked at Dr. Arkham who was watching the behavior of Joker as he made eyes at Frenchie.

"And make sure you put them on opposite ends of the confinement wing." Dr. Arkham added, "Keep'em apart."

"Yes, sir." Cash replied.

He pointed at an extra guard, "You go with us."

"And you," He pointed to another one, "You come also. I won't have any more outbursts from these two on my watch."

Cash's men escorted Frenchie out and down the hall first; keeping some distance, Cash and the rest of his guards continued with The Joker.

As the group made the normal time consuming, one door unlocks and another door locks, trip though the asylum Joker was his typical jolly self: making bad puns, cracking jokes at the expense of others, taunting the guards with threats. It wasn't until reaching the solitary confinement wing that the group transporting The Joker caught up with the group transporting Frenchie.

Summary:

Immediate continuation...

Chapter Text

There's an unnerving effect when an inmate doesn't put up a struggle. Dealing with a criminal who is being belligerent and violent is easy. The disconnect comes freely, making the control and containment of the inmate second nature. Their humanity becomes blurred.

Joker was well equipped to be unnerving, but so was Frenchie. Only, unlike Joker, she had the unsettling ability to be completely compliant. Her disposition allotted for it. She was cool, calm and collected on all accounts; one of the qualities Joker didn't truly possess, at least not long term, anyway. Sure, he could be those things when the occasion called for it but never to any real means to an end. He was explosive, preferred it that way.

But Frenchie, she learned a long time ago that yielding meant control. Not the kind of control that Joker craved, no; but the kind of control that creeps in the dark corners, sneaks around undetected, like vines slowing choking the life out of everything. It made it so people let their guard down. And when people are unsuspecting of you, one can literally get them to do anything. They become gullible, naive, easy to manipulate.

She feared all that was ruined now; she’d been stupid by choking the guard until he passed out. Letting Joker influence her, coaxing out the side of her he’d met on the roof that night; she'd not only allowed herself to be manipulated willing but she'd possibly given the powers that be the catalyst they we're looking for to keep her locked in Arkham.

Frankly, finding out was not going to be in her game plan. Binding her time in this place was over.

Of course, she hadn’t planned on getting injured when she came to Gotham; arriving and leaving the same night had been original idea. Once injured, it was slightly altered; merely planning on staying in Arkham long enough to heal.

Then the distraction showed up.

Something she only ever admit to herself, Joker was the reason she was still here. She was intrigued by the so-call clown prince. Someone like him, someone with the unique skill, the one-of-a-kind way to release mayhem and damn near, control chaos...could be useful in her arsenal. Her association with Joker would do two things; make her a target but also, make her untouchable.

But there was a hiccup, an unexpected twist that even she hadn't thought possible; she liked him. She actually liked him.

“There i've admittedit” she through to herself. And christ, if it wasn't all starting to get out of hand, spiraling out of control so quickly.

Suddenly, her body gasped for air, the straight jacket was making it increasingly hard for her to breath, being so snug. Her wandering mind was forced to focus on the situation at hand.

In the distance Joker’s voice could still be heard echoing “ce soir mon cher, ce soir!” again; He was no longer singing, no longer serenading Frenchie and the rest of the isolation wing.

Under normal circumstances she'd be furious with herself and she was, but she'd have plenty of time to chastise herself later.

“Get in there.” A guard hatefully announced.

As the door to her “new” cell opened an odor hit her nose.

Everything about this part of Arkham was old and decrepit; it appeared to be part of the original building. The smell of old air seem to filled every corner of her lungs, so stale it could almost be tasted. Nothing seemed to be updated; no state of the art technology here, just plain simple heavy doors, metal bars, poorly placed, outdated security cameras...the kind of place that makes escaping easy she noted.

The guard pushed her in with a vicious shove.

Joker's voice was still echoing.

“What does that mean?” The shorter of the two guards asked in a panicked tone. “What’s that clown going on about?”

Turning toward Frenchie he asked again, “What’s he saying? Is he making a threat?”

Frenchie smirked, “No, threat. A promise.”

Their faces expressed most of their concern, “A promise? What the fuck does that mean?”

“Should we be concerned?” Dr. Leland addressed Frenchie from the doorway.

Frenchie nodded no.

Leland casually walked in, followed by Dr Quinzel. The older female doctor gestured to the guards to give them a little privacy.

“I have to admit, it sounds like a threat to me.” Leland reached into her white coat pocket and pulling out a pair of latex gloves, she began putting them on.

“It’s not.” Frenchie replied.

Leland studied Frenchie with kind eyes; Quinzel, on the other hand, shot daggers at her.

“Are you hurt?” The doctor asked showing concern.

“No.”

“The guard claims he saw Joker choking you.” Leland reached up and felt of her neck, “He claims his intervention provoked the attack from both, you and Joker. Is that correct?”

“In part, yes. In part, no.”

Leland gave Frenchie a sidelong look, “Care to elaborate?”

Continuing, Leland instructed Frenchie to turn her head to the side, then to the other side as she examine her neck for marks or injuries.

Frenchie hesitated with her answer, “No. No elboration needed.”

Again Leland gave Frenchie a mild patronising look, suggesting she knew better.

“Has he tried to harm you before? Maybe he's made threats?”

“No-no, you misunderstand, Madam Doctor. Jo-Ker was not attempting to harm me.”

“I see.” Checking the dilation of her pupils, “But he did make physical contact with you, correct?”

Frenchie didn’t answer. The doctor finished checking the other eye. Clicking the small flashlight off and burying it deep into her pocket keeping her hand tucked inside, the doctor raised an eyebrow, “Look, we have to ask when we’ve had a report of inmates having a physical altercation or contact.” The doctor explained.

Frenchie remained silent.

Leland sighed slightly out of defeat. “It's better for us...and you, if we know what happened and why. If we assume, it tends to be the worse. Just answer this for me; was the contact intimate, platonic or malice in nature?”

Frenchie couldn’t help but shift her gaze to Quinzel. She small smirk formed as her eyes met with the envious glare of the young doctor.

“A near kiss, doctor. That is all.” Turning her head immediately she replied, addressing Leland. “He was simply attempting to seduce.”

“Oh.” The doctor smirked, “I see.”

Leland suspected this to be the case.

She continued to check over Frenchie, giving her heart rate a quick check.

“That explains a few things but at the same time, unfortunately raises many concerns. Has there been prior physical contact of...sexual nature?”

“No.” Frenchie looked up at the doctor, who was taller than her.

The doctor’s expression didn’t seem to match her response, “So, to be clear, no sexual contact between you and the Joker besides today's incident?”

Frenchie could hear the suspicion in her voice.

Removing the sphygmomanometer and placing the stethoscope around her neck Leland spoke,“Well, your blood pressure is slightly higher than normal but that in itself is normal given everything that’s transpired this afternoon. I think it best to mildly sedate you for the night.”

“No. Is that really necessary?”

“It’s protocol.” Leland didn’t give Frenchie time to reply.

“I’m also scheduling you for a full physical tomorrow.” She eyeballed Frenchie, “Any new medicines we might need to start you on can be discussed. We certainly don’t promote sexual behavior between inmates but we have to be realistic and proactive. Inmates tend to find ways to copulate no matter the circumstance.”

Leland shifted her eyes toward Quinzel and then back to Frenchie, “And our resident green haired clown has a certain talent for finding his way out of his cell.”

There was a motherly scornful tone about the way Leland was speaking. “Unfortunately I'm certain the inevitable is bound to occur.”

The guards pretended to ignored the conversation between Frenchie and the doctor, trying to maintaining an air of professionalism. However, the opposite was written across their faces.

Leland stepped toward Frenchie and in a soft low tone she privately warned the inmate, “Joker is incredibly dangerous. If you're thinking about interacting with him in any way, I can not voice my concern enough. Stay alive by staying clear of him.”

Frenchie couldn't help but wondered if the doctor was aware that she could kill her ten different ways.

Inside her pocket Leland’s hand held a readied syringe, she was no fool. Stepping back once she’d finished voicing her concern, she asked the orderlies to remove the straight jacket.

Frenchie eyeballed Leland as she finally removed the syringe, filled with a sedative, from her pocket. Leland gestured toward the needle, offering Frenchie a choice of locations to receive the shot. Quickly weighing her options, Frenchie decided to proceed with compliance; she would give them no more reasons to assume she was not a threat. Lifting her sleeve up, she offered her upper arm up for sacrifice.

“ I'll sleep this off, and then be on way.” She thought, “I can use a good night's rest.”

One if the orderlies escorted her toward the bed. If it could be called a bed. It was no more than a wide bench. There were no pillows, mattress or anything that can be used for self harm. These cells were used for everything from punishment of mild bad behavior to suicide watch.

Frenchie was half aware of the fact that her feet no longer felt like they belonged to her but too relaxed to care. She gladly stretched out on the small bench like bed, rolled to her side and was out.

Frenchie heard nothing as the door to the cell was unlocked. She soundly slept.

Joker paused at the door for a moment and looked down at Jenkins with a smile. “I’ll remember this favor, Old Boy, you have the Joker’s word on that. Heh-heh.”

Suddenly, his friendly smile turned as he delivered a threat, “And do make sure we remain undisturbed.”

Then he strutted into the cell, hands in pockets as the door shut behind him.

For a moment Joker towered over Frenchie while she laid in the small bed, watching, waiting, thinking that any moment she'd be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

For once he could honestly say he was surprised.

" They must have doped you up with the good stuff ." He smirked to himself.

He squatted down beside her, studying her carefully before he reached out. Using the dorsum of his hand, he touched her cheek. The warmth radiating from her felt enticing against the back of Joker's cool hand.

"Toots." He whispered softly leaving his hand where it was.

He wiggled his index finger, gently rubbing the knuckle of it against her cheek.

He spoke louder, "Wakey wakey, Beautiful."

Frenchie stirred.

"There she is...my slumbering coquette awakes."

Lethargically blinking her eyes open; moving nothing more than her eyes and brows as she fully became aware of her surroundings. The sedative was still coursing through her veins, enough that she remained docile and very relaxed.

Her eyes focused. Her mind cleared. Seeing Joker's charming smile and feeling his hand on her cheek, she lovingly nudged her head against his hand and returned his smile with one of her own. The gesture prompted him to playfully drag his knuckle tenderly over her cheek to the bridge of her nose then down the length of her profile.

As his knuckle passed over her lips he allowed it to linger, tracing his finger across her bottom lip. Trailing off to the corner of her mouth before gently pitching her chin and giving her head a playful wiggle with it.

"Jo-Ker." It came out with a faint giggle.

He could hear the contentment behind the way she said his name; she was pleased that he was there.

Joker lifted an eyebrow at her, almost seductively.

"Pleased to see me, are we?" He touched her cheek again with the back of his hand.

And again she affectionately nudged her face against it.

"I'll acquiescently assume that is a yes then, my dear." Very word out of his mouth was charming.

Frenchie smiled and nodded.

"Oui, of course, always, maybe." She spoke almost in a whisper.

Suddenly, Joker's eyes flashed toward his hand. Frenchie had reached up and cupped his hand with her own.

Giving affection in order to manipulate was one thing, something he was familiar with but this…

Having someone freely give it was something he hadn't experience in some time. It was funny really. That her holding his hand, making sure he kept it there against her cheek, made him feel vulnerable.

He watched wide-eyed and intrigued as she tickled her fingers back and forth across Joker's palm. Taking in every single moment, the feel of her touch and sight of it too.

"Just look at yourself, heh. They gave you the good stuff, didn't they, toots." He teased.

Her laughter was sluggish. Her hand still cupped against Joker's as she almost unknowingly began to thread her fingers between his.

"How long has it been?" She asked, remembering exactly where she was.

Joker quickly pulled his hand away and rested his elbow on the edge of the bed beside Frenchie. Acting casual about the retreat from affection, "Only a mere few hours. Fret not...we have plenty of time."

They're flirtatious encounter form earlier played out at lightspeed in her mind.

"Ohh." Her facial expression became flushed.

He held the back of his long slender fingers up beside his mouth, gesturing as if he had a secret to confess, continuing with a hush-hush tone.

"The truth is, I've got the guards on the take and they’re willing to overlook the...”

She couldn't stop the grin forming as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down at her, suggesting lewd behavior, "Hanky-panky.”

He gave her a debonair grin.

She ignored him, hoping to avoid a replay of what happened between them in the rec room; she needed no distractions. Her mind was suddenly thinking about her decision to escape, leave, vacate Arkham.

“I have a better idea, Jo-Ker.”

She pushed herself up onto her elbows and closed her eyes, trying to fight off the fogginess in her head.

"However, I will admit that, frankly, i’m impressed that you managed to wessel your way out of your cell…” She cut her eyes over to him, “...again.”

"Well, toots, I'm a man of my word and I did say tonight." He suddenly stood up; flamboyantly picking up her legs and lifting them, Joker took a seat on the end of the bed, placing Frenchie’s legs over his lap.

“I also pride myself on finishing what I start.” He allowed his fingers to slip around her ankle, brushing his thumb back and forth, “And as I recall, before we were so rudely interrupted earlier, I had you in quiet an agreeable position.”

Joker began to slide his hand upward, under her pants leg.

There was a scramble on Frenchie’s behalf. As she pushed herself up and pulled her legs toward her chest, removing them from Joker’s reach.

He lifted an eyebrow and slowly rested his hands in his lap. “Ooor, perhaps I was mistaken; perhaps it was merely a guise. I could have misread the situation, I’ve been known to do that. Just ask, Old Batsy.” His laughter filled the small cell.

Frenched rested her crossed arms on top of her knees and then rested her chin on her arms. Taking him in, watching him laugh.

As the giggling dissipated, Joker relaxed his body. Resting his back against the wall, keeping his feet flat on the floor; his lanky body looked so out of place on the small bench like bed. Folding his hands and threading his fingers together, he rested them on his stomach.

His grin faded suddenly. The blank look he produced made Frenchie feel ridden with mixed emotion. The distance she was trying to maintain between her and Joker wasn’t due to lack of interest, it was quite the opposite, but she could think about that later. Instead she needed something else from Joker, at least tonight.

“Jo-Ker, I need your assistance.”

She waited for a moment getting no response.

“I mean to escape Arkham tonight. I have no plan, it’ll be on pure improv. I need you to help me.”

He still didn’t respond.

“Jo-Ker?”

With a flash he turned and leaned in toward her, bracing his upper body on his hands, resting them on either side of her curled up legs. Frenchie lifted her head from it’s resting spot on top of her knees.

“I think you're holding back.”

Joker narrowed his eyes and leaned in toward her.

"I know you're holding back." Joker softly announced.

There was a rapid increase in her heart rate; she was absolutely holding back. She would continue to hold back for as long as her fortitude would allow. This was a bad idea; whatever this...phenomenon was that seemed to be unfolding between her and him.

Of course, there was the mild reluctance from her unfamiliar territory of having not been with a man for quite some time but that wasn't it, not really. The fact that she'd been so drawn to him in the beginning crushed that particular mental block almost without debate. There was no possible way the chemistry that sparked, hell, that blazed between the two of them could be dismissed as banal.

And maybe that was it. Somehow she knew that this gravitationally attraction would reach far beyond the walls of Arkham. The fascination between the two of them would devour the both of them if not kept in check. Or…

What hell was she doing? Her mind had wonder complete right off track.

She ignored the last thing he said to her.

“You heard me, no? About escaping, oui?”

He eyeballed her, keeping a smug smirk on his face.

“Jo-Ker.”

With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, “Yes, yes. I heard you. And we’ll get to that but right now, my dear, we’re talking about you...me...alone...and the indisputable fact that you want to kiss me.”

Joker kept both hands resting on either side of Frenchie's crossed feet and legs. Supporting his upper body with his arms, he leaned toward her; closing the already narrow gape.

"Having misgivings prephaps?" He was face to face with her, close enough that his nose barely brushed her cheek.

Offering her his lips, keeping them close enough that she could kiss them effortlessly. Perhaps, he was testing her resolve or maybe the plan had been to take a kiss regardless, whatever it was he merely froze for a moment.

Joker's senses were on fire being this close to her with the opportunity for anything to unfold. He could appreciate, that it was a rare occurrence for himself to find and respect the recognition of a counterpart. An equal he actually...well, liked .

But even then under normal circumstances this would have led to her death, it almost did. And his too! The thought made him chuckle slightly.

And that was the difference...the captivation, the absorption he had for this one was something he craved. He sorta of enjoyed the way she made him want to impress her, protect her, woo her, ravish her, own her...

He followed her, actually nudge her forehead with his own, urging her to go on and kiss him again. A soft gasp escaped her parted lips but she continued to resist. They both continued to resist, both of them, ready to pounce yet the curiosity of who would break first, made it a stalemate.

The moment lingered on, each of them sharing the others breath as their lips and noses tickled and teased the other. Their lips brushed together again, softly touching without any pursuit of more, Frenchie couldn't help but smile.

Finally, the tension broke with Frenchie giggling and pulling her head away. Leaving Joker with a look of disappointment of his face.

Her giggle grew to a laugh as she turned and threw her feet and leg off the side of the bed, sitting up.

For a split second Joker’s bared his teeth, he could feel rage boiling to the surface. It was a rare occurrence that he didn’t get what he wanted, and he wanted her. He also pulled back, resuming his sitting position with back against the wall and his legs slinking off the bed, still snarling slightly.

"Damn this game." Frenchie quickly mumbled and turned.

With a sudden flash of movement Frenchie pushed forward, crawling into Joker's lap. Welcoming her, Joker's hands and arms immediately claimed his prize. By the time his hands firmly closed around her sides, her hands were cupping his face.

They met each other's parted lips with such a need and urgency, aggressive lust fueling the next kiss and the next and the next. Each one never really ending, only a long drawn out continuation of the first kiss.

Dragging his hands down the curve of her sides, Joker found his way under her shirt, kneading against the skin of her back. Her warm smooth soft skin, he snaked his long arm under her shirt, slipping his hand up the middle of her back, pass her neck and into her dark hair. Her own hands playing back and forth as they tangled in different area of his hair, still the both of them kissing passionately.

Frenchie could feel Joker's excitement, hardening rapidly as her thighs straddled him. Her excitement, though not as easily detected, was building by the second. Grinding down she gave them the friction they both desperately desired.

Joker's hands immediately found their way down and over her thighs. He held her in place, pushing his own hips upward grinding his erection against her. She broke their kiss. As she pulled away, Joker's lips followed after, finding skin to kiss on her neck. She tilted her head back, giving him access. Her hands still tangled in the lush green curls on top of his head.

"Jo-Ker?" She whispered softly.

"Mm-hmm?" He moaned, kissing a trail up the side of her neck, finding her earlobe and sucking hard.

She sighed with pleasure, leaning into his sucking, “You can get us out of this cell, oui?”

Getting side traded, he aggressively grabbing her ass, “...J’ai envie de toi.”

He nibbled hard on her earlobe before letting his lips wonder down; kissing, sucking, tenderly biting at her neck.

Frenchie panted heavily, letting this madman lavish her with this sensual affection.

"Jo-Ker..." She needfully moaned, it was all she could muster out.

Frenchie pulled her neck away from his wondering lips. Setting up fully on her knees, making herself slightly taller than Joker for once. He charmingly grinned up at her, while letting his hands continued to knead her. Giving her ass squeeze, he tugged her towards him, causing her to playfully wobble over him.

Giggling, her hands braced on his shoulders.

For a moment she gazed down at him, slipping her hands up to cup his jawline with both hands.

They were both still panting from the wild, breathless kissing that had just occurred. Their chests moving in tandem as they slowly recovered and regained their composure.

Tenderly, Frenchie lowered her head. Without hesitation she found herself kissing him once again; pushing her tongue back into his mouth, he gladly accommodated it. Their movement subdued, compared to only mere seconds ago, with a gentle back and forth.

The natural progression brought them to a break. Giving him a quick peck on the lips before lifting her head and smiling.

"Jo-Ker. You..." She brushed his cheek with her fingertips as she rested one arm around his neck.

"You are something else." She snickered, shaking her head as if she was witnessing something of disbelief.

"Well, I like to think so." He cooed back before immediately trying to kiss her again.

"No more." It came out playfully as she pulled her head away from his lips. “We leave. Now, ouì?”

He suddenly bucked his hips, causing her to raise slightly from the force.

"Kiss me." He growled in a sexy, demanding tone.

Her accent heavy, "No-no." Deviantly grinning at him she leaned into his ear, “Later.”

He went for her neck, biting with flirty urgency. Speaking between his lavishing affection.

"There..." Bite.

"Are..." Kiss.

"So..." Nibble.

"So..." Kiss

"So many..." He tightened his grip, squeezing her waist.

Frenchie moaned, enjoying herself.

"Mmm-heh-heh." His moan turned giggle vibrated against her neck as he kissed with more aggression.

He bit her ear lobe before finishing, "Terribly pleasurable little deeds I want to perform on you. Need to perform..."

“You promise, oui?”

He tried kissing her again on the lips but Frenchie still refused, simply giving him a hard time. Prompting him to firmly taking her by the back of her neck, pulling her close, "Comere.”

She enjoyed the demanding tone.

He planted another from kiss on her.

He tightened his grip and grinded his hips up against her, "Mine."

Frenchie giggled, "You think so?"

He lifted an eyebrow and grinned smugly at her, right before he felt his body being tossed.

The look on his face as Joker tried to catch his breath was one of surprise. His eyes widen and his forehead wrinkled.

His head had hit the floor as a result of Frenchie slamming him down, relatively hard. Unsure but he suspected she had flipped he at some point.

“Did...did my ass go over my head or did my head go over my ass?” His voice slightly shaky but he managed a grin.

French looked down at him from where she stood over him.

“Can we go now?”

“Yes, yes. Fine. If you really wanted to play that rough, all you had to do was give me a little tip-off. A fellow could break something.”

“But you like it rough, no?” She teased.

Joker pushed himself up on his elbows, “There’s a time and place for it, certainly. I mean, some occasions you just know violence is going to be involved.”

He slowly began getting to his feet.

“For instance, running around with big men in black tights on rooftops,” Joker shivered with excitement, visualizing the scene, “One prepares for some good old fashion manhandling. So, forgive me if I’m simply flabbergasted. I was under the impression that I was pitching some of the best woo of my life.”

“That’s your best? Pitiful.”

Frenchie playfully rolled her eyes and chuckled, offering Joker an outstretched hand to help him onto his feet. He narrowed his eyes and reluctantly took it. With a tug she helped his talk lanky frame stand, immediately towering over her and not letting her hand go.

She looked up at him, while he looked down at her.

“I like your style through...” His eyebrow lifted as he slightly raised her hand giving her a kiss on the back of her hand. “...Toots. From the moment we met.” His grin blossomed.

Suddenly, he jerked her hand and arm, then grabbing Frenchie, flipping her around and coquettish holding her to his chest.

“It was working. I almost had you ready to heave all those qualms aside. You wanted to...I wanted you to...” His hand, already flat against her belly, wandered downward. Bearly slipping his pinky finger into the waistline, he wiggled it with a tease against her skin, “You shouldn't fight something that feels so nature.”

Frenchie allowed herself to enjoy his touch and embrace, letting him tighten his hug. Lowering his head he spoke right into her ear, “Now, tell me toots…” He purred. “This escaping business...What exactly did you have brewing in that dangerous mind of yours? Shall we storm the gates, or perhaps we are more covert about it? Sneak about on our tippy toes? Heh-hee.”

Frenchie smile, “Get us a key card that'll get us into the control room and leave the rest to moi. By the time I'm done, we can simply walk out.”

“Ooooh. Walk out, says you.” Joker slipped his hand even lower, his exploring fingers wanting to please. Frenchie quickly pull away, not from lack of interest, the opposite was true...so hence the caution.

Joker was fast; catching her by a piece of her shirt and tugging her back towards him with a toothy grin. Before she could protest he slumped down and locked lips with her one last time.

Frenchie's arms snaked, almost instantly around his neck. With no effort, Joker lifted her as he stood up straight, making sure to maintain their kiss. By the time they broke for air, Joker had Frenchie braced against one of the walls with her legs wrapped around his waist.

As soon as they broke for air, Joker released his grip. Letting Frenchie stand on her own two feet.

He said nothing simply smiling as he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and hung it out the small window on the cell door. As Frenchie's smile formed, Joker placed a finger over his lips and softly breathed, “Shhhh, I'm summoning the “help”. Tee-Heh.”

The news was grim when Bruce woke up that afternoon.

He'd received news from Gordon that the worse had happened. Those four words that when put together their weight was almost unbearable: The Joker has escaped.

“Computer, show the Arkham footage.”

The security footage began, showing two people, The Joker and the unnamed female, walking side by side down the halls of Arkham. Unceremoniously, taking turns killing guards as they happened upon them. As expected Joker relished and flamboyantly savored every moment of it; laughing nearing every second. The female showed no apathetic emotion. She was a killer of a different breed; a performance of composure and equanimity revealed a killer who was indoctrinated with a set of strict rules.

This blatant disregard of life, made Bruce’s blood boil as he watched.

Not a care in the world as the two appeared to hold a casual conversation as they move forward, finding almost no resist against their escape. Bruce continued to watch for 7 minutes, not flicting once as body after body fell. Only his hand balled into a fist that his nails dug into the palm of his hand. Nine guards, four orlderies and one doctor, all dead. And no one bothered to sound the alarm or maybe that couldn’t.

“Computer rewind footage 30 minutes. Show guard security station.”

“ Nothing.” Bruce thought to himself.

“Computer fast forward.”

Bruce watched until he saw them, “Stop. Play at normal speed.”

Bruce watches them approach the door to the security room, noticing that Joker uses a guard’s key cards to open the door.

“Computer. Show the footage 10 minutes prior from the solitary confinement wing.”

Bruce observes carefully as an older guard, who he knew as Henry Jenkins, approach one of the cells that appeared to have a handkerchief tied to a bar. The guard unlocks the door, then is pulled into the cell by Joker. A few moments later Joker and the unnamed female inmate exit the cell, key card in hand and began their escape.

Bruce continued watching, following their route through Arkham until he was back to the security room footage.

The two guards and one orderlie in the security room were caught by surprise as the two inmates intered. It simply took a well placed pen, grabbed off the desk to dispatch one of them at the hands of Frenchie. She then turned her attention on the other guard, while Joker had his fun with the orderlie. In a matter of seconds, both lunatics had ended the life of everyone in the room.

Joker began pilfering through the draws of the desk, while Frenchie sat down at the computer and started to work. Bruce assumed this would be the reason why no alarm had allured the GCPD or himself of the break out. She must have been able to simply disarm them. Of course, he'd have to see exactly what was on the drive in order to determine what was done.

It was obvious when she was done with overriding the system. Bruce watched as The Joker, who once done looking for goodies had moved in behind Frenchie to watch over her shoulder, clapped with enthusiasm as she cracked the system, so to speak.

Joker appeared to rest his arms on her shoulders as he pointed to the screen. For a few moments, they discussed what could only be options for escaping.

Bruce slightly flitched.

Watching The Joker brush Frenchie’s hair out of his way, he lowered his head and began to speak right into her ear. She made no effort to terminate his advancements as a playfully bite on the neck turned into a quick kiss.

Bruce cringed.

“Could the key to the Batman’s defeat be that elementary?” Alfred’s voice sound mildly amused. “You’ve sat here watching those two criminals, murder person after person, without so much as a peep.”

Summary:

Chapter Text

Frenchie, somehow a few steps in front of Joker, walked out of Arkham first. Freedom. Fresh air. There was no time to enjoy it.

“Rapidement !” She thought and headed toward the steps.

In a moment of pure instinct, only a second or two, she found herself calculating the ways that she could ditch Joker.

It wasn't until she paused and with a quick glance back through the double pane glass door, she'd just walked out of, that she saw him; that huge charming grin of his beaming right back at her. Suddenly she realized that she was smiling right back and in fact, she didn't actually want to discard of him...yet.

Joker bust out the door with flare, swinging it open with so much force that the door hit the railing and cracked.

“Oopsie-daisy, them’s the break.” He said to the cracked piece of glass while tipping an imaginary hat. A small giggle of amusement came twinkling out of him.

Frenchie watched and waited as he casually made the short journey from the door to the edge of the steps leading down into the faculty parking lot of Arkham.

He offered her his arm, with a slightly bent elbow.

She hesitated while thinking , “You're weighing all the options too, mon cher Jo-Ker. ” She'd be a fool not to think it or to fully trust him.

He nudged her with his elbow, giving her the look of an excited school yard child.

Waiting only a few second or so, “Suit yourself then…” He said, almost unable to contain his giggles.

Grabbing a hold of her hand, he towed her down the small set of steps. His long stride made it twice as much work for Frenchie to keep up. Causing her to nearly jog in order to meet his pace.

Once surrounded by cars, Joker finally stopped. Standing up straight, he scanned over the lot looking for an easy out.

“Here, I confiscated these from the doctor.” She devilishly grin, “Dr. Whistler.” Referring to the one she killed in the elevator.

“Excellent!” Joker clapped his hands together once and left them cup.

“And they do make it oh-so-very easy for us, don't they!” Joker announced pointing to the reserved parking signs with each doctor’s name conventlly deplayed.

Once they were off the island, crossed the North Channel where it turns into the Sprang River, and rolling into Old Gotham, as the locals call it, they traded the old car in for a new one, so to speak. And this one came with a bright and shiny owner. Ditching the doctor's car under the bypass, Frenchie made quick work of distracting a young man as he loaded his groceries; giving Joker the uphand of surprising him from behind.

Frenchie insisted she take the wheel; deeming Joker too recognizable to to drive. So he entertained in the back seat.

“Do you recognize me?” Joker antagonized with the most charming tone.

The young man didn't answer; making Joker appeared disappointed.

The familiar look of terror reflected in his eyes as Frenchie adjusted the rearview mirror in order to get a good look at what was happening in the backseat.

“Let’s try something less involved, shall we? My good sir, what's your name?” Joker asked as he sat cozied up next the terrified man, his arm draped around his shoulder.

“Yo-ur…” he addressed the man speaking slowly, “N-ame?”

Still nothing. He was frozen with fear.

With a disappointing sigh, Joker pitched the bridge of his nose.

“They never last long anymore.” He announced out loud, “My reputation precedes me, sending them into a frightfully catatonic state these days.”

Frenchie listened amusingly, glancing back and forth from the road to the rearview.

“Hello. Hel-LO.” Joker waved and snapped his finger in front of the man's face.

Finally, giving him a hard slap on his cheek making the man's reflexes take over; he grabbed his cheek and beginning frantically pleading.

“Oh well! Too late now, heh-ha. Like I said, bad luck indeed.” Joker flashed a wink at Frenchie through the rearview mirror.

“Assuming you live with this sick mother of yours…here in Gotham…”

The young shook his head agreeing with every Joker suggested.

“Yes, yes, I thought so. And it's just you and her…” Joker poked the man’s cheek with a slender finger.

The man continued to nod, thinking that somehow he was appealing Joker’s non-existent empathy.

Joker paused as if he was thinking things over, purposely giving the illusion he was reconsidering the whole situation.

“Well!” Joker's sudden excitement caused the man to jump, “In that case...if you promise not to say a word…Not a single peep about me and of course, my lovely colleague here…”

Frenchie couldn't stop from flashing a smile; this poor guy, no idea that he was already as good as dead.

“I won't. I swear. Not a single word.” The man quickly replied, still nodding frantically.

“True-true, right you are. And I, for one, believe you when you say that.” Joker’s tone full of amusement as he quickly pounce, stabbing the man once in the neck, with god only knows what, piercing his jugular.

The muted sounds of the man struggling filled the car. Joker sat grinning as he curiously watched the man bleed out.

Rolling the lifeless body to its side, Joker fished out the man's wallet. With a quick glance at his driver's license, “Ah, 3206 Noel St, our destination has been revealed! Continue onwards!” He announced playfully.

Frenchie, unfamiliar with Gotham, allowed Joker to lead. The pair remained oddly quiet as they traveled street by street, except for the occasional direction barked out by Joker.

Joker sat relaxed, reveling in the delight of so many punchlines being delivered in a single night. All in all, a joke well played. He giggled imagining how Batman would react to the news that he'd escape yet again.

Hearing his laughter, Frenchie’s eyes instantly found Joker's reflection in the rearview. He immediately leaned forward, poking his head between the seats and addressing Frenchie.

“Take the next left and tis the season of our destination.”

She nodded back at him, “Très bien.”

Bending her arm slight back, she cupped his face and gave his cheek an encouraging pat before placing it back on the steering wheel.

He lingered near, eyebrow lifted and eyes glued on Frenchie; contemplating the fact that perhaps his original plan to woo, manipulate, concur and discard had gone slightly off course. Though she seemed wooed, willing and ready; she remained unforthcoming with any information. And the idea, one that Joker couldn't put his proverbial finger on, of using brute force to get the who's, the what's, the where's, the why's, and the how's out of her didn't give him the same delightful little tingle that it normally did.

“That's not totally true ,” he said to himself with a mischievous smirk. It did but the tingle wasn't in his toes, so to speak. He involuntarily drug his teeth over his bottom lip thinking about how close he was to actually getting to explore every single craving without interruption.

“32...06, oui?” Frenchie's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Rightly-o.” He replied, looking out the car window for the correct house number.

The outskirts of Gotham were composed of two things, abandoned warehouses or rundown single-family brownstone type neighborhoods; rows of them stretched for blocks. This would make a good hidey-hole for the few days while Gotham’s Finest searched for the escaped inmates.

The pair arrived without incident and as lady luck saw fit, finding a garage attached to the house; a rare luxury in Gotham. Hiding the car, with its dead owner in the backseat, in the garage, meant one less chore and one less worry. They made fast work of parking the car and entering the house.

There was an unspoken flirtatious tension between the two of them; lingering looks, soft touches, enticing smiles seem to be all they needed to communicate.

“Douglas, is that you?” A female voice called out as soon as the door opened.

Joker grinned, putting his finger against his lips and mouthed “ Shhhh .”

Assuming it was the dead Douglas’ sick mother, Frenchie gestured with a single nod and a wicked smile suggesting she'd handle it; then running her finger across her neck to appease to Joker's more humorous side, she hung her tongue out the corner of her mouth before grinning again.

It worked, appeasing Joker.

Suddenly, Joker acted on his building urge to kiss her. In a flash, his fingers were tangling threw her hair and tilting her head back as he plugged his tongue into her more than accommodating mouth.

Yes. Absolutely. More .

The speed he used to claim her, forced her against the nearest surface that happened to be a kitchen counter. Their weight hitting against the counter created a loud thump, causing Douglas’ mother to call out again.

“Dougie, Dougie?” There was more curiosity in her voice this time.

They ignored the plead for confirmation from the mother and continued to aggressively kiss one another. Frenchie's arms bracing their weight as they leaned against the counter; she pushed back with her body causing Joker to release her hair and grab her hips. With a single lift, Joker had Frenchie on the countertop, wedging himself between her legs as he continued with his advancements. In their frailing and groping one of them knocked something to the floor, producing a crash.

“What's going on? Dougie, are you ok? Dougie!” Her voice clearly displaying her building fear.

Breaking from the chaotic making out, Joker turned his head toward the sound of the voice and threw his voice, deepening it to mildly sound like the man he'd kill in the car.

“Yeah, coming ma…” He fought back his laughter but not hard enough.

Giggling as he turned back to Frenchie; The tone of the conversation didn't discourage Joker from grinding his hardening erection against Frenchie, who more than allowed it, even provoking it, by rutting back against him.

He lowered his head with every intention of kissing her again but she stopped his advancing kiss by cupping his chin and nodding no. Her body wanted to keep going but her head say être intelligent.

“First, we clean house.” She whispered, cutting her eyes toward the upstairs where the women's voice seemed to be originating from.

Her heart raced and so very rarely, so was Joker's. A rush like this only came when he was tangoing with the Bat. A high, making him slightly delirious. “Hold it together old boy.” The through left as fast as it came.

He exhaled, panting with excitement.

“Go.” He gestured with his head at the same time.

They grinned at each other as she slipped off the counter.

Causally, she retrieved a knife then made off up the stairs, leaving Joker in a hot and bothered state.

He couldn't help but toss around some of the more sexier possibilities that loomed, in the not-so-distant future, around his head. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't giddy at the opportunity of finally getting bed the French beauty. But why? These past few months the through of sleeping with Frenchie seemed to pollute his mind no matter how hard to tried to fight it.

God, he hated it.

Never being the kind of man who lacked in companionship or at least, that's how he remembered it, when he could remember it. In fact, he was well complacent of his own abilities as an unparalleled lover, unprecedented when it came to the art of “making love”, an aficionado to the pleasures of the body. He grinned to himself. Granted, after his transformation...his mind and body tended to be preoccupied with The Bat. And when the occasional urge for foracation did hit, it tended to flee as fast as it came.

So the question remained, why her? And at this point, would it even matter?

“Bonjour...”

Frenchie’s voice made he break his concentration.

Joker walked out of the kitchen and listened; he could barely hear the sound of Frenchie's voice address the sick women. Once she enter the room Joker could only hear the muffled and muted sound of the two women having an exchange.

He grinned to himself at the idea of the delightfully wicked murder being committed just above him, and no, it wouldn't matter if he knew the reason he found this particular adversary irresistible. Some itches simply have to be scratched and well, he would claw away at this one.

“But first things first.” He said aloud to himself and started to explore his new surroundings.

He started closing blinds and pulling curtains to.

“No peeking.” He said aloud, addressing any would-be neighbors as he slung one of the drapes shut.

Then he paused again, listening for any signs of life upstairs. The sound of nothing caused a toothy grin to cross his face and he continued.

A light here, a light there as he plundered the spoils of his new hidey-hole.

“No-no, our new hidey-hole ,” he mentally corrected himself.

Keeping his eyes peeled for any odd whatchamacallits and usual thingamajigs that caught his fancy, he explored room by room of the downstairs.

“ The news !” He remember as his eyes landed on an old console television dressed up as a piece of furniture. There was something about old technology that put a smile on his face, well everything put a smile on his face but that's not the point. Joker walked over, patted the top of the television before turning it on; flipping through channels until he arrived at GGAT, a personal favorite of his given the fantastic story they did on him last year.

He stood arms crossed, watching.

“Curious.” He said to great disappointment, nothing was being reported yet about the escape.

Speaking of curious. Joker's eyes narrowed, “where is that little French croissant?” Joker thought, suddenly spinning around on his heels.

To his surprise, there she was; standing in the open double doorway observing him with a smirk on her face. Having been there long enough to witness his tender treatment of the television, there was no doubt that she had grown fond his whimsical ways and eccentric mannerisms. But there was something more...

Of course, on the outside, they were complete opposites; one a chaotic and unbridled killer, the other a composed and restrained killer. However, the keyword being killer; both were nonpareil. And the resemblance of herself, that she saw in him, made her feel a kinship with him.

For a moment they only stared, there was hesitation. A weary sense of what the other might be up to; both mindful of all the deadly impulses and urges the other one possessed. Suspicious of what the other might be planning on doing, regardless of their obvious attraction. Trust was limited.

“Lurking about in doorways, tsk-tsk, so rude, so ill-mannered.” He teased her with his one of a kind way.

“Oh, is that so? In that case, pardon moi.” She placed her hand on his chest. She didn't hide the fact that she was grasping something small in it.

“Care if I join you then? I have something for you.” She gave him a flirtatious smile and quickly flashed the small gold object she held, moving toward him without waiting for an answer.

His brow raised with curiosity as he watched her move across the room.

“Christ , how embarrassing .” He stumbled over something as he involuntarily took a step back. Quickly saving the fumble, playing it off, he sat down on the ottoman he'd nearly flipped over; never taking his eyes off of her.

Frenchie snickered, “Careful, ouí.”

Once close enough, Joker reached out and grabbed the hem of her shirt. Balling it up in his hand, he pulled her to him.

Their legs wedged between another; resting his chin on her chest, he wrapped his long lanky arms fully around her. Looking up at her, “Looks like i’ve got you now, toots. No more interruptions.”

“Oh, heh. Est-ce correct?” She brushed his floppy hair back and held it in place.

“It looks more like I have you, nó?” She snicker.

Joker’s eyebrow shot up, accompanied by an expression that say, ' damn, she might be right.'

Then his expression melted into a grin. He was beaming, “So, toots. Whatcha got for me?”

“Close your eyes.”

His lifted an eyebrow in suspicion again.

“Jo-Ker…”

His arms tightened as he felt a familiar rush, he'd never get tired of hearing her say his name that way.

“Close. Your. Eyes.” She repeated.

He did, continuing to grin.

“Now, put your lips together.”

He did, trying his best not to smile or snicker.

Frenchie began.

As soon she started to apply the ruby red lipstick, she found upstairs, he gasped and his eyes flung open.

Suddenly, he was a quivering mess. This was his war paint, this made him feel ready . Every desire a man of his caliber could muster surged through him at once.

“There. Done.” She tossed the tube behind her and cupped his face in her hands.

Nearly trembling with excitement, he grabbed her waist, immediately slipping his hands under her shirt and pawing at her bare skin.

She looked over his face, “Now. You look like yourself. Le Jo-ker." Her tone was seductive, as her thumb smeared a little bit of the lipstick on his bottom lip.

Suddenly, he was pulling her on top of him, her legs straddling him. His touch instantly seemed more vicious, more demanding, more controlling.

“I'm dying to know your endgame.” Joker's tone suggested he'd suddenly had a change of heart but his actions, his movement suggested otherwise as he continued to grope Frenchie's body.

“So...tell me this, toots. Just how far are you willing to go to get what you want?” His brow lowered in a frisky manner.

Frenchie smiled, clearly enjoying his wandering hands, “Just as far as you, so it appears.”

Joker made an amused sound, something between a growl and chuckle as he reached up and grabbed Frenchie by the throat pulling her ear to his mouth with force.

“Good.” He growled into her ear with a grin.

Before the grin could even began to form on Joker's face he was manhandling Frenchie, hooking his arms under her knees and lifting. Quickly she was in the air, then on her back, having been tossed to the sofa. She put up a playful fight, forcing him to use more aggression, pushing, pulling shoving, pitching, scratching, squeezing, groping, grinding as he finally pinned her against the sofa.

Joker hovered over her, his hair askew, messy, adorably tousled about on the top of his head.

“A beautiful man,” she thought.

Suddenly, all she wanted was to kiss those red lips.

She lifted her head to connect with his lips but found resistance as he jerked his head away. Instead, he roughly grabbed her under his chin, cupping her jawline; tightly gripping her face, pinching her cheeks towards her smirking mouth with his fingers.

Panting heavily and enjoying the aggressiveness he used, Frenchie's body involuntarily arched under him. His excitement not easily hidden, making her grind against his erection.

Joker grinned, barely slipping his finger into her mouth, enough to press the pad of his finger against the edge of her bottom teeth.

She bit.

He tilted his head back, almost rolling his eyes with pleasure.

As Frenchie bit down harder on his finger, he rutted against her.

Worming her arm down, between their bodies, her hand cupped Joker's dick through his pants and groped.

To his surprise, he heard himself gasp loudly, literally losing his breath from finally having his needy erection given attention. His face immediately buried into the curve of Frenchie's neck. Between the dull pain on the tip of his finger and the glorious friction on his dick he was giddy.

Suddenly, he felt it, her hand slipping slowly between his slender body and the elastic waist of the orange Arkham pants he still wore. Skin on skin, made him squeezes his eyes shut and bite his bottom lip out of anticipation.

A soft whimper escaped Joker's throat as her fingertips danced slowly past his throbbing tip, over his head and grasped his swollen cock.

With a playful squeeze, she began to stroke him.

It felt so...good. There was no other word to describe it. He slipped another finger into her mouth, hoping she would bite. And she did.

Looking for an outlet to express his enjoyment and a way to stop all these embarrassing little whimpers and moans, he bit down on her neck. Frenchie moaned loudly and squeezed his dick, enjoying the sensation.

He found himself pulling his fingers out of her mouth and instead plunging his tongue deep into her mouth. She forcefully kissed him back as she continued to work her hand up and down his shaft.

It still felt so good.

joker thrusted into her hand, matching her rhythm desperately looking for more friction.

It was enticing having him in the palm of her hand, both figuratively and literally. This was The Joker, at his most vulnerable but she'd be a fool to think him helpless.

For a brief moment, she continued to stroke him. Until enough was enough, Frenchie craved more; her lust had finally reached the tipping point.

She removed her hand. Causing Joker to moaned into her mouth as his hips rutted against her, searching for more friction.

But then, then he realizing what she was doing.

She groped his slender toned waist, pushing her hands into his pants, she hooked the waistline with her thumbs and slid them downward. There was a rushed urgency as she pushed as far as her arms would allow, slipping the pants just over the curve of his butt cheeks.

He quickly pushed himself up. Resting on his knees, he immediately pulled at Frenchie's pants while she wiggled herself out of them. With a finally tug, Joker had them in hand, carelessly tossing them aside.

In one fluid motion, Joker peeled his uniform shirt over his head. His green hair askew, messy and still adorably tousled about his head.

Suddenly, scrambling up, Frenchie met him on her knees, coaxing him to sit back, to lean against the sofa. He smirked at her, helping her into his lap.

With one swoop, she peeled off her own shirt until finally she was completely free of it. She stayed perched on her knees letting Joker assess his prize, his eyes traveling slowly over her body.

Enough, he had to touch; reaching out, groping her breast, hips and waist, kneeling her skin.

Like him, she wore the scars of a violent history. Each one just as beautiful as the next, telling the story of her past and foreshadowing her future.

Frenchie watched as Joker traced his fingers over a particularly large scar on her arm, before kissing it. Was this a tender man behind the violent monster? How many people had ever seen this side to him? Was it a tactic? Better yet, was it working?

Suddenly, his hand buried into her hair, pulling her lips to his and her thoughts subsided, focusing solely on the physical act at hand. No more questioning the chemistry that flourished between them. No more questioning the alternative motives at hand. No more persuading.

Pleasure hit. She gasped for air, breaking the kiss but not pulling away. Her fingers tighten in his green curls as she indulge Joker's long elegant pale fingers moving in adagio over her clit.

He continued to move his fingers in a circular motion, making her moan with pleasure. She was primed and ready, and rolling her hips against him, inviting him to penetrate.

There was a momentary pause, the excitement, the anticipation, the yearning...it all showed on their face. The look of pure avid ebullience.

The eagerness had Joker almost trembling as he held the base of his erection, helping guild himself into her warm, welcoming body.

Frenchie's eyes slammed shut as she rolled her hips tremendously slowly, once, twice, stopping on the third roll.

Joker half expected her to change her mind. Promptly, deciding they her attraction for him was a farce; that he was no different than every other man she has no desire for. He grasped her hips with more force as if he was keeping her from changing her mind.

He uncharacteristically heard himself, "Is everyth--"

Frenchie's hand immediately shot up, covering his lips with her fingers, stopping him from expressing any concerns. A smirk was all she offered as she moved her hands to cup his face, slowly rolling her hips a few more times.

A pleasurable deep breath escaped her throat, cueing her to pause more time.

Joker's hands remained on her hips, fingertips digging into her skin as soon as she paused. The desperate urge to start fucking her was boiling over inside him. But he waited, held back surprisingly with ease, allowing her to control and command the speed and rhythm.

Seeing the reservation in his expression, she gave him a tender kiss; a way to say, 'everything is ok.'

And it was; the momentarily pauses were merely her adjusting to the overwhelming surge of pleasure. She had forgotten that with the right person, the right male, that sex could be just as fulfilling as it was with a woman. Not only that, but there was the psychological thrill of finally getting to ravish her Joker.

She lifted up higher and rolled back down with more force. Making both of them tense up with pleasurable anticipation; she didn't hesitate to repeated the action.

With a steady slow pace she started riding him, tilting her head back and letting a smile form across her face as she moved. He ogled her, this dark haired, green eyed beauty, perched on his dick, moving gracefully. His hands cupped either side of her throat, apply slight pressure making her moan. She held his forearms, sliding her hands upward to feel his hands around her neck. Her eyes met his and she smiled. Joker was spellbound, his green eyes glazed over with lust, caught up in the experience.

Instantly, his long lanky arms engulfed her, pulling, hugging his momentary lover tight. Her arms completely locked around his neck, they were face to face, nose to nose, mouth to mouth.They're lips touched, they're mouth parted but they didn't kiss. Instead, they simply shared each other's breath. Exhaling and inhaling in tandem with a passionate pace. Their bodies moving as one; connected, physically and mentally in the moment. Nothing else existing but the two of them.

With the building of pleasure pulsating thought her body, Frenchie naturally proceeded to fervently roll her body. Creating more friction and situation for the both of them to indulge.

And indulge they did.

Like a match being struck, the brust of urgency between them sparked. There touching lips finally reverberated their contact, instantly turning into something desperate, something desideratum as they suckled at each other's tongue, bit at each other lips, as if the need to simply be connected in just one more way was imperative. There was beauty in their chaotic movements. A maelstrom, out of control but still so orchestrated.

Frenchie's arms stayed locked around his neck never giving an inch. His hands, tightly gripping the curve of her waist, periodically slipping down to grope her hips, thighs and ass.

Her breathing turned quickly turned, becoming heavy and short.

Without warning, she pulled her head away. Releasing her arms for around his neck, a began to paw at his hair wildly. Grasping a hand full of his green curls, forcing him to tilt his head back while she halfway gave him a sloppy kiss.

With each roll of her hips she became more and more demanding, Joker realized she was about to have an orgasm.

A swell of pride hit him.

He watch her riding it out on his dick; chasing down her pleasure until her climax finally reach the tipping point, the point of no return. Her rhythm became sporadic, pausing momentarily, tightly grasping him as if she was hanging on the edge. With a few more rolls of her hips and euphoria was hers. She buried her forehead against his as she came.

Joker could feel her thighs squeezing his slender hips, her body gasped for a breath then held it, her sex contracting around his sensitive erection, her hands damn near pulling his hair out. For a brief moment he froze; letting her enjoy every little ounce of pleasure.

He finally felt her body relax and he shifted his body for comfort. The slightly movement tickled. He was still rock hard and buried hilt deep inside her overly sensitive body.

She whispered, "That was unexpected, ouì?"

It was followed by a soft short giggle.

"Holy Christ." Joker moaned, literally unable to stop himself from thrusting his hips up toward her.

A giggle escaped Frenchie as she tensed up and squeezed his shoulders as an outlet for the over stimulation, "wait, wait...go slowly."

They kissed as she allowed him to slowly and gently guide her up and down on his dick.

One kiss turned into two, turned into three, turned into urgent, passionate lust and suddenly like a wave crashing onto land...

This time, either one held back.

They found themselves all over the small room. Joker lifting and slamming Frenchie against walls, against furniture, against any surface he can manage to vigorously fuck her against. Roughly pawing, pulling, squeezing, scratching, biting, choking, kissing, wilding thrusting, grinding and rutting against each other, both working toward the mutual goal of satisfaction. Their passions ran amuke; both receiving, as well as giving, incredibly assertive demands. Each taking it with posse; fighting for control but gladly surrendering it for the sake of pleasure.

Finally, the wave broke and the chaos subsided...

Halfway on, halfway off the ottoman, the very spot they had started from. With a quick heave, Joker lifted Frenchie and himself into the nearby sofa. Clinging to his inamorata, making sure to remain inseparable, he laid on top of her. Resting his head on her chest, she buried her hands into his hair, hugging his head.

Their breathing synced as their naked bodies relaxed.

Joker gently moved his finger tips in a circle around one of Frenchie's scars; a small gesture, a way to interact.

Both their minds raced with possibilities of what was to come next. How to navigate around the situation they found themselves in and then proceed forward.

Joker tossed around the possibility of all the chaos and destruction he could create with…

His hair flopped down nearly covering his eyes, she reached up, pushed it out of the way and held it there tangling her fingers into his curls; she needed to see those brilliant green eyes.

For a moment she studied him.

“No.” She let his hair back down into his eyes, “I still don't trust you.”

He sat up, letting his long, lanky body slouch, as he adjusted Frenchie's legs over his lap.

“So, there it is. You don't trust me, I don't trust you. Remedy this we must, yes indeed.”

“What do you propose? Go on, what are the Jo-Ker’s terms?” Frenchie pulled herself up, leaning slightly on the armrest of the sofa, letting one foot remain in Joker’s lap.

Joker remained quiet as he thought. Frenchie tormented him by using her toes to poke and tickle his sides.

“Let's hear them, oui...our terms for engagement.”

Finally grabbing her foot, “Alright then. How's this?”

He tugged at her ankle playfully, “I won't harm a single hair on that beautiful head of yours.” He suddenly was crawling back on top of Frenchie, wedge himself between her thighs, “In return, you won't harm a single gorgeous green hair on mine.”

She couldn't help but giggle as he got face to face with her and narrowed his eyes, “Capiche.”

“That's it?” There was slight disbelief in her tone.

“That's it, toots. Everything else...betrayal, deceit, manipulation, chicanery, shenanigans, heh-hee-he...your everyday, run of the mill villainy...is all fair game. May the best man, or woman, win.” Joker grinned from ear to ear, “Oh and it goes without saying The Bat’s mine.”

Frenchie nodded, “Of course, without saying...La Bat is yours.”

“La Bat is mine.” Joker repeated, “Deal?”

“Oui, yes...De--” Joker was kissing her before she could finish.

***

It was late. Or maybe it was early. Frenchie hadn't looked at a clock and her sense of time had been disorientated with all the one on one time with Joker.

Frenchie sat in an armchair, still naked, smoking a cigarette she had been lucky enough to find. She watched him. Joker was in the kitchen looking in cabinets and under the sink for household chemicals that could be used to make, as he put it, all sort of goodies in case the GCPD or Batss came a-knockin’.

“Definitely a promising start!” He announced.

The kitchen provided ammonia and vinegar; he was sitting them on the kitchen table.

Frenchie continued to sit and smoke as Joker raided the rest of the house for whatever he could find.

She examined herself.

“ Is that blood or lipstick?” She thought to herself as she wiped a smudge of red on her thigh. It smeared easily.

“ Lipstick .” She smirked to herself.

She wasn't completely disappointed in herself, in fact, she wasn't disappointed at all about the events of the night. She was rid of Arkham, had enjoyed a good romp and would soon be on her way back to Europe…once she finished collecting everything she needed.

Her train of through stopped when Joker started singing loudly somewhere in the house.

“Salagadoola mechicka boola…Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo…”

Joker came rounded the corner, all grin, still butt naked holding a jug of bleach and a bottle of rubbing alcohol, soft-shoeing toward the kitchen. He looked ridiculous.

“Put them together…” He pause as he sat them down along with the other chemicals he'd found.

“and what have you got…” He turned and grinned at Frenchie who was laughing.

He sang it again, “Put them together and what have you got?” Laughing Frenchie spoke the words, “Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.”

“Hahaha. Haha.” He cackled loudly.

Frenchie got up, put her cigarette out before walking over to the table to join Joker.

“Teach me.” Referring to what he was going to do with the chemicals.

“Well, toots, we can concoct low grade chloroform, hydrochloric acid, chloramine and…” He held up a single finger, “...Or...chlorine gas, all depending on which way you mix and match them, of course.”

“Of course.” Frenchie repeated as if everything he just said was the normal consensus.

He grinned like a child at Christmas. “It won't have a lot of Bibbidi, but it'll have a little bobbidi and a hella lot of some boo….oooo-hoo-heheeheh-haha.”